Frequently Asked Questions

Does the MCDPA apply to me?

If you are a Minnesota resident acting in your individual capacity (e.g., not for your business), you have rights under the Act.

If you are an entity which controls or processes data, the Act only applies to you if you meet certain threshold criteria, and only for certain data. You may find a flowchart regarding data processing thresholds here.  The Act excludes certain entities and categories of data.  The AGO cannot provide you with legal advice, which includes advice on whether the Act applies to your organization or the data it holds.

How can I exercise my rights as a consumer under the MCDPA?

Controllers are required to provide consumers a privacy notice and an explanation of their rights, including how and where consumers may exercise those rights. Depending on the company, a consumer might be able to submit their requests through the company’s webpage or email address. The AGO also provides templates that can be submitted directly to companies.

You can read more about your rights and access the template forms prepared by the AGO on this website, by clicking through the options on this page.

How can I complain about a company not respecting my data rights?

You can submit a consumer complaint to the AGO.

I received a request from a consumer pursuant to the MCDPA. What do I do with it?

The AGO cannot provide you with advice on how to comply with the Act, or whether you are even subject to the Act’s requirements. You can read about controllers’ obligations under the Act here. You can read about processors’ obligations under the Act here.

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Disclaimer: The Attorney General’s Office (“AGO”) is providing this page as a rough guide to explore rights and obligations pursuant to the Act. In many instances, this website simplifies or rewords the provisions of the Act for comprehension and readability. The website is not intended to provide guidance as to how the AGO would enforce the Act. It is not the AGO’s intention to provide any information on this website that would conflict with the Act. The AGO offers this website as a tool for exploring the Act, but nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice for interpreting the Act or how the Act might be enforced.