Maine Businesses Intensify Opposition to LD 1822: Press Conference and Coalition Letter

Momentum continues to grow as Maine businesses push back on LD 1822. At a well-attended press conference in Portland, a broad coalition of employers came together—both to share their concerns and to visibly demonstrate the depth of opposition across the state’s business community. The event quickly drew television and print coverage, bringing further attention to the potential impacts of the proposal. Below, you’ll find the full press release and the signed letter from businesses and organizations urging policymakers to take a different path forward.

​For Immediate Release                                                                                        
Tuesday, March 31, 2026                               
                                                    
Maine Businesses Intensify Opposition to LD 1822 Ahead of Final Votes
Business leaders say “data minimization” provisions would undercut key marketing tools

PORTLAND, Maine — Businesses from around Maine gathered at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Tuesday to speak out in opposition to LD 1822, An Act to Enact the Maine Online Data Privacy Act. The bill’s “data minimization” requirements would restrict the ability for small businesses to use targeted digital marketing in Maine.

“For many small businesses in Maine, every marketing dollar matters,” said Maine State Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Patrick Woodcock. “Targeted digital advertising provides businesses the ability to compete by focusing on likely customers, not casting an overly broad and costly net. The data minimization provision in LD 1822 evaporates that data, leaving Maine businesses at a competitive disadvantage to find new customers. That’s a step in the wrong direction for businesses already operating on tight margins.”

L.D 1822, which has passed both the Maine House and Maine Senate in close preliminary votes, would create a data privacy bill that would restrict the ability to collect online data unless “reasonably necessary and proportionate to provide or maintain a specific product or service requested by the consumer.”  This section, which the vast majority of states do not include in their data privacy laws, would prevent consumers from consenting to share data with third parties, which is the foundation of how profiles of interested customers are developed for retailers, restaurants, and music venues.  It would make Maine an outlier in how we treat online data and prohibit actions rather than requiring consumer consent. 

“We support protecting consumer privacy, but this bill goes beyond that—it risks limiting Maine businesses’ ability to compete, grow, and participate in an increasingly digital economy,” said Laura Hnatow, Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce for Sea Bags.

Business leaders from across Maine—representing tourism, hospitality, retail, arts, and sports—spoke about the real-world impact the proposal would have on their operations and the broader economy.

“Maine businesses are already operating in a challenging environment, with workforce shortages and a heavy reliance on a short seasonal window. Adding additional burdens through legislation like this discourages investment, limits job creation, and sends the wrong message – that Maine is not a place where businesses can grow and thrive,” said Jill Moses, owner of Three Dollar Deweys and several Maine restaurants.

“LD 1822 would significantly restrict our ability to reach those out-of-state audiences. For an organization that depends on visitors, that creates a real challenge in maintaining attendance and sustaining operations,” said Curt Dale Clark, Artistic Director of Maine State Music Theater.

“The Maine Mariners are a small business. We employ 19 full-timers and about 50 part-timers during the season. Our goal financially every year is to break even, so every expense is scrutinized. Our finances are on a knife-edge every season, and this will not only affect expenses with the need to spend more to get in front of the same amount of interested customers, but it can also affect revenues by not getting in front of the right people and resulting in smaller crowds,” said Adam Goldberg, CEO of the Maine Mariners.

There is widespread opposition to the bill in the business community, including from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; several local Chambers of Commerce including those in Bangor, Portland, Kennebec Valley, mid-Maine and Oxford Hills; dozens of business associations, and hundreds of Maine businesses.

“We support the objective of protecting consumer data, but it is equally important to ensure that policies are grounded in the realities facing Maine employers,” said Woodcock. “LD 1822, as written, goes too far and could hinder the ability of businesses to operate, grow, and create jobs. We remain focused on finding a path that achieves both strong protections and a competitive business environment.”  

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About the Maine State Chamber of Commerce:
Founded in 1889, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is Maine’s largest business association, serving as The Voice of Maine Business on behalf of thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across the state. The Maine State Chamber focuses on three pillars - Advocacy, Access, and Awareness - to advance a positive business climate and secure a strong state economy in which Maine businesses can compete and succeed. For more information, please visit www.mainechamber.org.

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