California is in turn endowed with a data protection law similar to the RGPD in force in Europe. Called the California Consumer Privacy Act, the new law was passed by both chambers of the state and then signed by the governor. It will enter into force on January 1, 2020.
"In California, we are taking a leadership position with this bill," welcomed Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg. "I think it will be an inspiration across the country."
Thanks to this new law, consumers have the right to know what information the companies collect on them, as well as the reasons for the collection and the entities with which this information is shared. And like the RGPD, the new California law also gives the right to Internet users to request the deletion of their personal data or to refuse that this information is shared with third parties. Exploiting data from people under the age of 16 becomes more difficult.
For the New York Times, this is one of the most important regulations on the processing of personal data in the United States. And it will apply in California, the state that houses the giant seats like Facebook, Google and Apple. It is expected that there will be an impact on the whole country. After the entry into force of the RGPD in Europe, many tech players had already decided to offer the same controls to all users in the world, instead of focusing on European users.
It should be noted that pending its entry into force in 2020, the California consumer Privacy ACT can still be amended. And as Fortune Magazine explains, web players are already planning to change this law (voted at the last minute) that many consider imperfect.
« ...We look forward to improvements to deal with the many unforeseen consequences of the law, for example said a spokesman for Google. Facebook's position is similar, and the number one social network is eager to "work with policymakers on an approach that protects consumers and encourages responsible innovation."