ASSEMBLY PRIVACY COMMITTEE CONVENES FIRST INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON THE CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT OF 2018
SACRAMENTO – State legislators, key academics, industry experts, government liaisons, and consumer representatives convened on Wednesday for an informational hearing of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Members of the committee heard from numerous stakeholders on ways to refine the law – ranging from suggestions on how to further clarify and address perceived workability issues from a business standpoint, to suggestions on how to strengthen the law from a consumer and privacy protections standpoint.
“The purpose of the hearing was to make sure there is a strong understanding of the rights and protections that we won for Californians last year, and the obligations that the CCPA imposes for businesses,” said Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park). “Once we have done that, it is just as critical that we continue our work to ensure that the law is refined, and true to our intent, so that the privacy protections we fought for are accessible for consumers, and that businesses are able to carry out the law in practice.”
Last year in California, the Legislature took on the historic task of enacting the most comprehensive privacy rights law in the nation. Beginning in 2020, the CCPA gives consumers the right to request from a business the personal information it collects or sells about them, its purpose for doing so, and with whom the personal information is shared. Consumers will also have the right, with limited exceptions, to request that a business delete any personal information collected from them. It gives consumers the right to “opt-out” of the sale of their personal information, while requiring “opt-in” consent to sell the personal information of minors up to 16 years of age. Finally, it prohibits businesses from discriminating against a consumer for exercising these rights. Since the passage of the CCPA, the conversations have focused on clean up and enforcement efforts. Today’s hearing was a recognition of the fact that there is more work to be done.
“Obviously, it is my hope that folks will not seek to erode the important rights that Californians now have in the name of ‘clean up’ or ‘clarity,’” said Assemblymember Chau. “We must safeguard those rights and I will look to members of this committee to join me in that effort by working together and diligently towards workable solutions.”
The hearing was titled, “Understanding the Rights, Protections, and Obligations Established by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018: Where should California go from here?” It included expert testimony from Alastair Mactaggart, Chairman of Californians for Consumer Privacy; James Harrison, Attorney for Remcho, Johansen & Purcell; Veronica Abreu, Chief Privacy Officer for Square; Tanya Forsheit, Partner and Privacy & Data Security Group Chair for Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz; Stacey D. Schesser, Supervising Deputy Attorney General for the Consumer Law Section – Privacy Unit at the California Department of Justice; Sarah Boot for the California Chamber of Commerce; Eric Goldman, Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School of Law; Kevin McKinley for the Internet Association; Margaret Gladstein for the California Retailers Association; Elizabeth Galicia, Vice President of Common Sense Kids Action; Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney & Adams Chair for Internet Rights for the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Nicole A Ozer, Esq., Technology and Civil Liberties Director for the ACLU of California; Todd Weaver, Founder and Chief Executive Officer for Purism; Scott Jordan, Professor at UC Irvine; and Ashkan Soltani, Independent Researcher and Technologist.
Assemblymember Chau is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection and Select Committee on Emerging Technologies and Innovation. He represents the 49th Assembly District, comprised of the communities of Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Temple City and portions of Montebello and South El Monte.
For additional information and a copy of the agenda, please visit:
https://privacycp.assembly.ca.gov/content/201920-oversight-informational-hearings
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