California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “California Opt Me Out Act”, which will require web browsers to include an easy, universal way for users to opt out of data collection and sales. Here are the details.
New law takes effect on January 1, 2017
In 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gave residents the right to tell companies not to sell or share their personal data.
Since then, a few browser extensions have made it easier to basically send a CCPA-compliant opt-out signal to visited websites, but now California residents will be able to do so directly from their browser settings.
The law signed this Wednesday expands on the CCPA, adding a new section to the Civil Code that requires browsers to provide a clear, one-click mechanism for Californians to opt out of data sharing across websites.
The bill reads:
A business shall not develop or maintain a browser that does not include functionality configurable by a consumer that enables the browser to send an opt-out preference signal to businesses with which the consumer interacts through the browser. The functionality required by paragraph shall be easy for a reasonable person to locate and configure. A business that develops or maintains a browser shall make clear to a consumer in its public disclosures how the opt-out preference signal works and the intended effect of the opt-out preference signal. The California Privacy Protection Agency may adopt regulations as necessary to implement and administer this section. A business that develops or maintains a browser that includes a functionality that enables the browser to send an opt-out preference signal pursuant to this section shall not be liable for a violation of this title by a business that receives the opt-out preference signal.
Californians will need patience, though, as the law doesn’t take effect until January 1, 2027.
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