US state California is considering a new privacy bill which provides residents with new privacy protection over their Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and keeps it out of reach from data brokers.
Currently state laws allow citizens to request that data brokers remove any information they have collected from them directly, but not from third-party sources. Meaning, data brokers can compile consumer data which they obtain legally from a variety of sources (public records, credit card transactions, social media, etc.) and sell it onwards to third parties which are rarely vetted.
The California Delete Act solves this loophole and is a perfect precedent for other states to follow, winning against data brokers.
What Is the California Delete Act?
The California Delete Act would do the following:
Require data brokers to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) public registry, pay a registration fee, and disclose the information they collect
Call for data brokers to provide and adhere to a one-time universal opt-out process made through the California Privacy Protection Agency dashboard
Require data brokers to disclose the requests they receive from consumers
Why Does the California Delete Act Matter?
Californians would find it simpler to prevent data brokers from gathering and selling their personal information thanks to the California Delete Act.
Additionally, it might be just what is required to start a crackdown on the current data-harvesting industry as it's highly likely that other states will adopt similar legislation if the California Delete Act is approved.