Attorney General Becerra Updates Congress on California Consumer Privacy Act, Urges Expansion with Future Legislation

Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today sent a letter to members of Congress with an update on California’s implementation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). In the letter, the Attorney General urged Congress to use federal legislation to build on rather than preempt the consumer rights and privacy protections made possible by the CCPA or other state law. Attorney General Becerra further emphasized that Congress should provide consumers with greater enforcement power and be a partner to the states in the work of protecting consumer privacy.

“I invite Congress to look to the states as sources of innovation and expertise in data privacy,” said Attorney General Becerra. “One of the key benefits of our federalist system of government is that federal policy can learn from and build on successes in the states. At a time when personal privacy rights are in jeopardy, Congress should protect consumers by looking to CCPA as a working model for data privacy — it’s the right thing to do for consumers in California and across the country.”

CCPA was signed into law on June 28, 2018 and went into effect on January 1, 2020. The law provides consumers with groundbreaking new rights on the use of their personal information. CCPA grants California consumers robust data privacy rights and control over their personal information including the right to know, the right to delete, the right to opt-out of sale, and additional protections for minors. The Attorney General’s enforcement of the law will begin following promulgation of final regulations.

In the letter, Attorney General Becerra urged Congress to provide consumers with new rights under federal law:

  • The right to access, correct, and delete personal data that has been collected; 
  • The right to minimize data collection, processing, and retention; 
  • The right to data portability among services; and 
  • The right to know what data is collected and processed and for what reasons.

Attorney General Becerra also stressed that any legislative proposal should extend enforcement powers to both state attorneys general and to consumers through a private right of action. 

A copy of the letter can be found here. Information about CCPA can be found at oag.ca.gov/ccpa.

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