In one paragraph
Kentucky's HB 559, the Kentucky Digital Choice Act (2026 session), would have given users of social media services and AI model operators data portability, deletion and interoperability rights. Companies and operators would have had to answer copy or deletion requests within five business days and offer open-protocol interoperability interfaces. Only the Attorney General could enforce it, with damages of up to $7,500 per continued violation after a 30-day cure period. It was referred to committee February 11, 2026 and died when the session ended.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill died and never became law. It would have required social media companies and AI model operators to offer data portability, deletion and interoperability to Kentucky users.
Key provisions
- Social media companies and AI model operators must provide a copy of a user's personal data, including social graph and contextual data, on request, and delete it on request, within five business days (Sec. 2)
- Model operator: the person that deploys an AI system, excluding entities that only use AI through APIs, licensed services, prompting or fine-tuning; contextual data: any information a user provides to an AI system, excluding the operator's trade secrets (Sec. 1)
- Social media companies and model operators must each implement a third-party accessible interoperability interface using an open protocol with continuous, real-time data sharing; they may set reasonable and proportionate request thresholds and charge a reasonable fee above them (Sec. 3)
- Businesses building on a model operator's AI system must promptly forward user requests to the operator (Sec. 3(9))
- Attorney General exclusive enforcement; 30 days' written notice and cure; damages up to $7,500 per continued violation; no private right of action (Sec. 5)
- Creates a digital choice fund in the State Treasury for civil penalties, administered by the Attorney General (Sec. 6); no effective date stated in the text
- Introduced February 4, 2026; referred to Small Business & Information Technology (H) February 11, 2026; no further action before the session ended
Latest legislative action
Feb 11, 2026. to Small Business & Information Technology (H); no further action before the 2026 regular session ended
Sponsors (showing 5 of 8)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| B. Linder | Primary |
| D. Meade | Primary |
| J. Raymond | Primary |
| K. Bratcher | Primary |
| N. Kulkarni | Primary |
Topics and industries
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error