California’s Ballot Measure Could Affect Your Privacy — Even if You’re Not in California
Why Proposition 24 is so confusing
On January 1, privacy in the United States changed forever. On that day, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — the most comprehensive privacy law in the United States — went into effect in the Golden State. The law provides a broad range of privacy rights and protections to citizens of the state, and California’s attorney general began enforcing it on July 1.
The CCPA has already had a profound impact, both in California and beyond. As a Californian, I’ve used CCPA requests to access my file from facial recognition company Clearview AI, helping to shed light on their controversial activities. I’m also using the law to explore the data which large, often shadowy “data brokers” gather about me and other citizens.
Even if you’re not a Californian, the CCPA has already affected your privacy. Several sources report that the law caused Facebook to begin quietly providing consumers with information on their “Off Facebook Activity” in January, revealing that thousands of companies are sending data to Facebook about what apps you use, which websites you visit, and even the specific products you buy online.
