The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a comprehensive privacy law that came into effect on January 1, 2020, in the state of California, United States. The CCPA is designed to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California. It grants consumers more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them.
Key features of the CCPA include:
- Consumer Rights:
- Right to Know: Consumers have the right to request information about the personal information collected, disclosed, or sold by businesses in the past 12 months.
- Right to Delete: Consumers can request the deletion of their personal information held by businesses, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out: Consumers have the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information to third parties.
- Notice and Transparency:
- Businesses are required to provide clear and conspicuous notices to consumers about their data collection and sharing practices.
- Notices must include information about the categories of personal information collected, the purposes for which it will be used, and the rights that consumers have under the CCPA.
- Non-Discrimination:
- Businesses are prohibited from discriminating against consumers who exercise their rights under the CCPA. This means that businesses cannot deny goods or services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of service based on a consumer’s exercise of their privacy rights.
- Data Security:
- Businesses are required to implement and maintain reasonable security measures to protect the personal information they collect.
- Applicability:
- The CCPA applies to businesses that meet certain criteria, including those that have annual gross revenues exceeding $25 million, buy or sell the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers, households, or devices, or derive 50% or more of their annual revenue from selling consumers’ personal information.
- Enforcement:
- The California Attorney General has the authority to enforce the CCPA. Additionally, consumers have the right to bring private actions in certain circumstances.
It’s worth noting that the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which expands and strengthens privacy protections, was passed in November 2020 and is set to become operative on January 1, 2023. The CPRA builds upon the CCPA and introduces additional rights and requirements for businesses.
