The state’s leading consumer privacy agency is throwing its support behind a bill built to bolster protections around Californians’ online data.
SB 362, also known as the “Delete Act,” would create a portal for residents to remove personal data that’s been collected by data brokers, from purchase history to internet browsing habits.
There are currently 486 data brokers registered in the state of California, which aggregate and sell personal data to third parties. Many times, the information is only used for targeted ads, but state Sen. Josh Becker, who introduced the bill, worries about other potential uses.
“There’s geolocation data that can be used for women who are seeking reproductive services, there’s information that can be sent to ICE that can harm immigrants,” he said.
Becker says the bill would give Californians a simple way to protect their data – something that’s currently difficult to do.
“Right now you’d have to go, as an individual, to 486 different websites, figure out how to remove yourself,” he said. “Nobody’s going to do that.”
The bill would also require data brokers to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency and disclose the types of information they collect.
The CPPA, the state’s leading agency for protecting consumer privacy rights, announced their support for SB 362 last week.
“The CPPA is proud to support SB 362. It aligns with our Agency’s mission to protect Californians’ consumer privacy and makes it easier for individuals to exercise their data privacy rights,” said Jennifer Urban, Chair of the California Privacy Protection Agency Board.
Although the bill has faced stiff opposition from business groups, it has the support of a coalition of privacy rights advocates. It was unanimously passed by the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. It’s currently headed to the Committee on Appropriations for its next vote.
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