SACRAMENTO, Calif.–California has passed a strong new digital privacy law that provides consumers with more control over and understanding of how their personal information is used online.
The regulation involves the data-collection practices of technology companies in the United States.
The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown just ahead of a deadline to pull from the November ballot an initiative seeking even tougher oversight over technology companies.
The new law gives consumers the right to know what information companies are collecting about them, why they are collecting that data and with whom they are sharing it. It further provides consumers with the right to tell companies to delete their information as well as to not sell or share their data. The law states businesses must still provide consumers who opt out the same quality of service.
It also makes it more difficult to share or sell data on children younger than 16.
The legislation goes into effect in January 2020. It gives the state’s attorney general more authority to fine companies that don’t adhere to the new regulations.
As CUToday.info recently reported, Europe has recently enacted its General Data Protection Regulation, but the California law is not as restrictive as its European counterpart.