Your data privacy rights in Maryland

What the MODPA does for you

The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act gives Maryland residents legal control over the personal data that companies collect about them. The strictest U.S. law: it imposes hard data-minimization limits and outright bans the sale of sensitive personal data. It is enforced by the Attorney General (Division of Consumer Protection), and businesses generally must respond to your requests within 45 days. The law does not, however, reach the hundreds of data brokers that quietly resell your profile — for those you opt out directly (see below).

Your rights under the MODPA

How to exercise your rights in Maryland

1. Find the business’s privacy request form
   Look for a "Your Privacy Choices", "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" or "Privacy Rights" link in the website footer or privacy policy.
2. Submit your request
   Ask the business to access, delete, correct or stop selling your data — the rights Maryland grants you under the MODPA.
3. Verify your identity
   Provide what the business needs to confirm your identity; it generally must respond within 45 days.
4. Opt out of data brokers too
   Statutory requests only reach companies you contact — separately opt out of data brokers and people-search sites that resell your profile.
5. Escalate if ignored
   If a business doesn’t comply, file a complaint with the Attorney General (Division of Consumer Protection).

Sample opt-out letter for Maryland residents

A ready-to-send deletion request that cites your rights under the MODPA. Add your name and the broker in the generator, then send it to the company’s privacy address.

To the Privacy / Opt-Out Team at [Broker name],

I am writing to request that you remove my listing and delete all personal information you hold about me, and that you stop selling or sharing it. I am making this request under my rights as a Maryland resident under the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA).

To identify my records:
Full name: [Your full name]

Please take the following actions:
1. Delete all personal information you have collected about me.
2. Suppress my profile so it no longer appears on your website or any affiliated/partner sites.
3. Stop selling, sharing or licensing my personal information to third parties.
4. Confirm in writing once these steps are complete.

Please process this request and respond within 45 days. If you need to verify my identity, contact me using the details above — but please do not require more information than is necessary to do so.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Sincerely,
[Your full name]

Who has to comply

Businesses that control or process the data of 35,000+ Maryland residents, or 10,000+ residents while earning 20%+ of revenue from selling data.

Because the law only binds businesses above these thresholds, many of the smaller sites and data brokers that expose you aren’t covered — which is why a direct opt-out matters even in Maryland.

Enforcement & penalties

The MODPA is enforced by the Attorney General (Division of Consumer Protection). Penalties run to Penalties under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. There is no private right of action, so you can’t sue a company yourself — but you can file a complaint with the Attorney General (Division of Consumer Protection).

Data brokers and people-search sites in Maryland

Maryland does not run a data-broker registry, so no central list tells you who holds your data. Every major broker is still required to honor an opt-out request — there are just hundreds of them, and they re-list you within weeks. Our free data-broker opt-out guide walks each one, and our free breach & dark-web check shows what’s already leaked.