EFF Urges Calif. Governor to Sign Bill That Others Say Could Spur More Opt Outs
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) should make it easier for California consumers to exercise their opt-out rights by signing AB-566, said Hayley Tsukayama, Electronic Frontier Foundation associate director of legislative activism, in a blog post Tuesday. But a privacy lawyer for businesses warned on the same day that the bill, if enacted, could lead to many more opt-out requests.
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AB-566, which is supported by the California Privacy Protection Agency and passed the legislature on Sept. 11, would require all web browsers to support universal opt-out preference signals (see 2509110061).
“This is a necessary step, because even though the CCPA gives all people in California the right to tell companies not to sell or share their personal information, companies have not made it easy to exercise this right,” Tsukayama said. “Right now, someone who wants to make these requests has to go through the processes set up by each company that may collect their information individually.”
Industry groups are lobbying hard against AB-566, the EFF official noted. “But we urge Gov. Newsom not to listen to those who want it to remain difficult for people to exercise their CCPA rights.”
While AB-566 makes requirements for browser companies, financial institutions and other businesses that must honor opt-out requests from consumers should take notice, said Hudson Cook privacy attorney Megan Nicholls during her firm’s monthly privacy webinar Tuesday.
“It likely means that you're going to see more opt-out requests,” said Nicholls, noting that AB-566 would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. “And then if we take that one step further, we see the regulators monitoring this potentially even more than they are right now and enforcing the provisions of their respective privacy [laws].”