Home › Jurisdictions › Massachusetts
AI Laws in Massachusetts
As of 2026-08-12, AI Laws USA tracks 32 AI rules in Massachusetts: 7 state-level rules and 25 county or city rules. Federal AI protections apply statewide on top of these — see the federal page. Each entry links to its official source.
Massachusetts state-level AI rules (7)
-
In effect
MA AG
MA · Effective 2025-07-10 · MA AG — $2.5M Earnest Operations Settlement (AI Underwriting Discrimination) (2025-07-10)
Settlement with student-loan lender Earnest over allegations its AI underwriting model and 'Knockout Rule' produced disparate impacts on Black, Hispanic, and non-citizen applicants. Mandates AI governance, annual fair-lending testing, AG reporting.
-
In effect
MA DOI AI Bulletin
MA · Effective 2024-12-09 · Massachusetts Division of Insurance Bulletin 2024-10 (2024-12-09)
The MA Department of Insurance adopted the NAIC Model Bulletin on Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers. Insurers licensed in MA must maintain a written AI program with governance, risk-management, testing, third-party-AI oversight, and documentation controls. The bulletin operationalizes existing unfair-trade-practice and unfair-discrimination law as applied to insurers' AI use cases — underwriting, pricing, claims, fraud detection, and marketing.
-
In effect
MA Digitized Intimate-Images Law (deepfake NCII)
Massachusetts · Effective 2024-09-18 · Acts of 2024, ch. 118 (H.4744), amending G.L. c. 265, Sec. 43A
Massachusetts's 'An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation' created a criminal offense for distributing nonconsensual intimate images and expressly extended it to 'visual material produced by digitization.' Digitization is defined to include creating or altering visual material — such as through computer-generated images — in a way that would falsely appear to a reasonable person to be an authentic depiction of the person shown. This brings AI-generated and digitally fabricated intimate images within the same prohibition that applies to real photos and videos.
-
In effect
MA AG Campbell
MA · Effective 2024-04-16 · MA AG Campbell — Advisory on Consumer Protection, Anti-Discrimination, Data Security and AI (2024-04-16)
Clarifies that Chapter 93A, the Anti-Discrimination Law, and MA Data Security Regs apply fully to AI developers, suppliers, and users; identifies algorithmic discrimination and misrepresenting AI capabilities as unfair/deceptive.
-
In effect
MA EO 629
MA · Effective 2024-02-14 · Mass. Exec. Order No. 629 (Feb. 14, 2024)
Governor Healey's EO 629 creates a 26-member AI Strategic Task Force spanning government, labor, healthcare, finance, education, and life sciences to recommend AI policy for Massachusetts.
-
Proposed / pending
Massachusetts AI-CSAM Criminalization Act (Senate)
Massachusetts · S 1174, 194th General Court of Massachusetts (2025-2026)
Would close a gap in Massachusetts law by criminalizing the creation and distribution of sexually explicit images of children that are technologically edited, collaged, morphed, or AI-generated. Massachusetts is one of only five states that has not updated its child pornography statutes to cover AI-generated content. The bill aligns state law with statutes already enacted in 45 other states.
-
Proposed / pending
Massachusetts AI-CSAM Criminalization Act (House)
Massachusetts · H 1593, 194th General Court of Massachusetts (2025-2026)
House companion to S 1174. Would update Massachusetts child pornography statutes to criminalize the creation, distribution, or possession of sexually explicit images of children that are AI-generated, morphed, or digitally edited. Would bring Massachusetts into alignment with 45 other states that already criminalize AI-generated CSAM under state law.
County and city AI rules in Massachusetts (25)
-
In effect
Somerville Face Surveillance Ban (2019, first East Coast)
Somerville, MA · Effective 2019-06-27 · Somerville, Mass., Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance (June 27, 2019)
On June 27, 2019, Somerville, MA became the first East Coast city — and the second U.S. city overall after San Francisco — to ban its government from using face surveillance technology. Unanimous council vote. Catalyzed a Massachusetts municipal FR ban wave including Brookline, Cambridge, Northampton, and Springfield. Still in effect 2026.
-
In effect
Boston Interim GenAI Guidelines
Boston, MA · Effective 2023-05-18 · City of Boston, Interim Guidelines for Using Generative AI (May 18, 2023)
Boston Mayor's Office interim guidelines authorizing limited use of generative AI tools by city employees with required disclosure and prohibitions on entering sensitive data.
-
In effect
Worcester Ordinance Banning Face Surveillance Technology
Worcester, MA · Effective 2021-12-14 · Worcester Ord. (Dec. 2021) (2021-12-14)
Eighth MA municipality to ban government use of face surveillance; bars city officials from obtaining, retaining, requesting, or using FR systems.
-
In effect
MA Police Reform FR Restriction (Worcester)
Worcester, MA · Effective 2020-12-31 · Mass. Gen. Laws c. 6, secs. 219-220 (Ch. 253 of 2020)
Massachusetts police-reform law (Ch. 253 of 2020) limits municipal police departments — including Worcester — to facial recognition queries run only by RMV, MSP, or FBI via written request and supervisory approval.
-
In effect
Easthampton Face Surveillance Ban
Easthampton, MA · Effective 2020-07-01 · Easthampton Ord. (2020) (2020-07-01)
Unanimous council ordinance prohibiting city use of face-surveillance technology.
-
In effect
Boston Face Surveillance Ban
Boston, MA · Effective 2020-06-24 · Boston, Mass., Code of Ordinances 16-62 (2020)
Boston bans all city departments, including police, from obtaining or using face surveillance systems. City officials also may not ask third parties or other agencies to run facial recognition searches on their behalf.
-
In effect
Springfield Face Surveillance Ban / Moratorium
Springfield, MA · Effective 2020-05-04 · Springfield Ord. (2020) (2020-05-04)
Bans Springfield police and city agencies from using face-recognition technology.
-
In effect
Northampton Face Surveillance Ban
Northampton, MA · Effective 2019-12-19 · Ord. 19.176 (2019-12-19)
Prohibits Northampton from collecting or using biometric face-surveillance information.
-
In effect
Lawrence Surveillance Oversight Ordinance (CCOPS)
Lawrence, MA · Effective 2018-09-04 · Lawrence Ord. (Sept. 2018) (2018-09-04)
First MA CCOPS ordinance; requires council approval and use policies for any city surveillance technology.
-
In effect
Cambridge Surveillance Ordinance & FR Ban
Cambridge, MA · Cambridge, Mass., Mun. Code ch. 2.128, FR ban amendment (Jan. 13, 2020)
Cambridge requires City Council approval and impact reports before city departments use surveillance technology, and a unanimous January 2020 amendment banned city use of face surveillance. Surveillance impact reports were still being filed with the council in 2024–2025.
-
In effect
Brookline Face Surveillance Ban
Brookline, MA · Town of Brookline, Mass., General By-Laws (Warrant Art. 25, 2019)
Brookline's Town Meeting voted 179–8 in December 2019 to ban town government use of face surveillance, making it the fifth US municipality to do so. The by-law bars town departments, including police, from obtaining or using face surveillance systems.
-
In effect
Cambridge terminates Flock Safety ALPR contract for 'materia
Cambridge, MA · Effective 2025-12-09 · Cambridge terminates Flock Safety ALPR contract for 'material breach of trust'
After suspending its Flock cameras in October 2025 over fears data could reach ICE in violation of the city's sanctuary ordinance, Cambridge terminated the contract when Flock installed cameras without authorization.
-
In effect
Newton MA Public Schools
Newton, MA · Effective 2025-09-15 · Newton MA Public Schools — Generative AI Use Guidance (2025-09-15)
Newton Public Schools guidance covers vetted enterprise AI tools, classroom disclosure norms, prohibition on AI-generated discipline or special-education decisions, and AI literacy thread in grades 6-12.
-
In effect
Boston Public Schools
Boston, MA · Effective 2025-09-01 · Boston Public Schools — Guidance on AI + Draft Districtwide Policy 2026 (2025-09-01)
Revised 2025 guidance plus a May 2026 draft policy that bans non-sanctioned AI use, non-consensual deepfakes, AI as sole basis for grading/discipline, and PII entry into unapproved tools. Moving toward AI literacy graduation requirement.
-
In effect
Public Schools of Brookline
Brookline, MA · Effective 2025-08-19 · Public Schools of Brookline — AI Acceptable Use & Data Privacy Procedure (2025-08-19)
Town of Brookline municipal policy governing use of generative AI tools by all Town Technology Resources users. Distinguishes constrained (contractually approved, confidentiality guaranteed) from unconstrained (consumer, no guarantees) tools. Prohibits inputting PII or protected health information into any generative AI tool. Requires IT Cybersecurity Team approval before use of any generative AI tool. Adopted by the Select Board and also approved by the School Committee.
-
In effect
Boston GenAI Guidelines
Boston, MA · Effective 2023-05-18 · City of Boston, Interim GenAI Guidelines v1.1 (May 18, 2023)
Boston was one of the first major US cities to issue generative AI guidance for its workforce. The interim guidelines tell city employees to never put confidential or personally identifying information into AI prompts, to fact-check all AI-generated content, and to disclose AI use, while encouraging responsible experimentation.
-
In effect
Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing
Boston, MA · Effective 2021-10-21 · Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing
Boston bars police from acquiring, deploying, or newly repurposing surveillance technology without City Council approval and restricts sharing student information with police, complementing its earlier facial-recognition ban.
-
In effect
Ordinance banning face surveillance technology in Boston
Boston, MA · Effective 2020-06-24 · Ordinance banning face surveillance technology in Boston
Boston's City Council voted unanimously to ban city government, including police, from using face surveillance technology and from asking third parties to use it on their behalf.
-
In effect
Five-year moratorium on police and municipal use of face sur
Springfield, MA · Effective 2020-02-24 · Five-year moratorium on police and municipal use of face surveillance technology
Springfield's City Council voted 11-2 to impose a five-year moratorium barring the police department and other municipal agencies from using facial surveillance technology.
-
In effect
Ordinance banning municipal use of face surveillance technol
Cambridge, MA · Effective 2020-01-13 · Ordinance banning municipal use of face surveillance technology
Cambridge's City Council banned all city departments, including police, from using face surveillance technology, joining a wave of Massachusetts municipal bans.
-
In effect
Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance
Somerville, MA · Effective 2019-06-27 · Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance
Somerville, as part of the CCOPS movement, unanimously banned any city department from using face-surveillance technology and barred use of face-recognition-derived data in municipal proceedings.
-
In effect
Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance prohibiting municipal u
Somerville, MA · Effective 2019-06-27 · Face Surveillance Full Ban Ordinance prohibiting municipal use of face recognition
Somerville's City Council unanimously banned any city department or agency, including police, from using face surveillance technology, making it the first East Coast city to do so.
-
In effect
Surveillance Technology Ordinance
Cambridge, MA · Effective 2018-12-10 · Surveillance Technology Ordinance
Cambridge bars city departments from funding, acquiring, or using surveillance technology without express City Council approval, requiring public impact reports, a use policy, and ongoing use reporting.
-
Enacted (not yet in effect)
Westfield One-Year Data Center Moratorium
Westfield, Massachusetts · Westfield One-Year Data Center Moratorium
The Westfield City Council made the moratorium official on July 6, 2026 with a unanimous second-reading vote, imposing a 12-month (365-day) ban on new data centers while it studies zoning and health impacts.
-
Proposed / pending
Cambridge MA algorithmic rent-setting ban (policy order, Jun. 2026)
Cambridge, MA · Cambridge, MA City Council unanimous policy order (late June 2026) directing draft ordinance banning algorithmic rent-setting (Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler)
The Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council voted unanimously in late June 2026 on a policy order directing city staff to draft an ordinance banning algorithmic rent-setting — software (such as RealPage-style tools) that landlords use to coordinate and set rents. The order, led by Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, follows municipal bans in Berkeley, CA and Providence, RI. A policy order directs drafting; the ban itself is not yet law, so this is indexed as proposed until an ordinance is drafted and enacted.
Massachusetts city guides
Browse the full directory · Browse by topic · Submit a correction