 Here’s some good news – when it comes to privacy, California is catching up to privacy leaders like Utah and Montana. Three new data-privacy bills in Sacramento would give California consumers powerful new tools to manage their personal information. The three legislative initiatives would:
These bills would build on a solid base of existing reforms. California has launched a data-broker enforcement strike force. In the 2023 Delete Act, it created a centralized website for consumers to opt out of sales of their data and delete the data already collected by brokers. Another new law also requires web browsers to let consumers set one universal privacy control. California, home to the nation’s tech industry, is suddenly a national leader on privacy. As our readers know, the gathering, buying, and selling of personal data is big business. Worse, it takes shockingly few data points to identify us as individuals. In today's information economy, that knowledge is gold – to government agencies, police, marketers, and hackers alike. The Delete Act now shines a spotlight on data brokers and their shadowy privacy practices. And the new enforcement strike force adds muscle, promising real accountability for brokers – and the businesses that rely on them – to adhere to their privacy policies. CalPrivacy executive director Tom Kemp said: “Data brokers pose unique risks to Californians through the industrial-scale collection and sale of our personal information. The widespread availability of digital dossiers makes it easier for our personal information to be weaponized against us, and even well-meaning data brokers can be victims of data breaches that leave all of us vulnerable.” Under the law, brokers must register with the state and pay an annual fee. That annual registration fee is funding the new Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP). Starting in August, California residents who use this free service can have their data profiles wiped – and kept that way, with mandatory deletions every 45 days. Next up – the California Opt Me Out Act, which goes into effect in 2027. It will require major browsers to offer users one simple switch – one click to say “no” to data sharing across thousands of websites. Technically, it’s known as an OOPS, an Opt-Out Preference Signal. It certainly doesn’t sound like a mistake. Here’s hoping – California dreamin’ – that these initiatives take root. Perhaps they will be so well received that our representatives in Washington will be inspired to follow suit by curbing the limitless appetite of federal agencies for Americans’ personal data. The last hope may still be a dream. But if the nation’s most populous state can take such steps, it’s a dream worth having. Comments are closed.
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