If you use social media or buy anything online, you are sharing personal information. On Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont ceremonially signed a new law letting you control that data.

The Connecticut Data Privacy Act passed the General Assembly almost unanimously this year. It goes into effect next summer, although some provisions take longer.

"You now have the right to see your data, to correct your data, to delete your data, to make a copy of your data, and most importantly, to actually tell them not to collect your data in the first place,” said state Rep. Mike D’Agostino (D-Hamden).

In most cases, the new lets you opt out of sites selling your data starting in January 2025 – and you’ll have to specifically opt in to sharing “sensitive” information, like your exact location, race or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, and certain health diagnoses.

You can request a copy of the data that a site collects on you once a year, for free. Websites are banned from penalizing you for asking for the information.

"This is, in many ways, a Digital Bill of Rights,” said Lamont. “And this gives parents a little more control in protecting their kids."

Under the new law, users under 16 years old must specifically consent to any data sharing.

"The average young adult posts 70,000 things to social media before they turn 18,” said state Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford). “And, you know, that data can be used in different ways."

Connecticut is only the fifth state to pass a digital privacy law. It comes after Congress has failed to act.

But as tech companies get more sophisticated, who will make sure they're actually following the law? Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says, that's still mostly up to you.

"We'll rely on consumers to make complaints,” he said. “We'll monitor the marketplace the best we can ourselves. And if we have credible information that someone's broken the law, they'll get a call from the Attorney General's office, and we'll take action."

Only the attorney general will be able to go after potential violators, with penalties up to $5,000 per offense. The new law prohibits consumers from suing tech platforms over data privacy violations.