California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

In this guide:

Key aspects of CCPA

As the first comprehensive data privacy law for consumers in the United States, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has emerged as a groundbreaking piece of legislation that redefines the landscape of data privacy and protection in the digital age. Enacted in 2018, this landmark law was designed to empower Californian consumers with unprecedented control over their personal information while establishing stringent obligations for businesses that handle such data. The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) recently expanded upon the data privacy protections in the CCPA and establish a dedicated agency to enforce violations in the form of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), so review the CPRA dedicated page for the full details on the latest developments.

At its core, the CCPA is a response to the growing concerns surrounding the rampant collection, use, and monetization of personal data by businesses, with Data Brokers and People Search Sites the biggest offenders. With the proliferation of digital technologies and the vast amounts of information being exchanged, the need for comprehensive data protection measures is apparent. The CCPA addresses this need by granting California residents the following enumerated rights:

• The right to know about the personal information a business collects about them and how it is used and shared.
• The right to delete personal information collected from them (with some exceptions).
• The right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their personal information.
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights.

While the CCPA sets new standards for data privacy, it also forms part of a broader trend towards enhanced data protection globally. It has inspired similar legislations in other jurisdictions, as lawmakers recognize the need to provide individuals with greater control over their personal information.

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) represents a transformative shift in data privacy regulation. By placing control back into the hands of consumers and mandating transparency and accountability for businesses, the CCPA sets a precedent for data protection that resonates far beyond California’s borders. As digital interactions continue to shape the modern world, this legislation stands as a testament to the importance of safeguarding individuals’ personal data in an era of rapid technological advancement.

Source: The California Attorney General’s Website

What this means for business compliance

From a business perspective, the CCPA imposes substantial responsibilities. It applies to companies that meet certain revenue or data processing thresholds, regardless of whether they have a physical presence in California. This extraterritorial scope underscores the law’s influence on a global scale.

To ensure compliance, businesses must implement mechanisms for consumers to submit data access and deletion requests, along with dedicated channels for addressing these requests. Additionally, the CCPA establishes steep penalties for non-compliance, underscoring the seriousness of adhering to its regulations. With the recent establishment of a dedicated agency in the CPPA to enforce regulations and uphold data privacy rights, fines of up to $7,500 per intentional violation and $2,500 per non-intentional violation add up quick if you’re collecting, processing and/or selling personal data.

The CCPA applies to businesses operating for profit in California that also meet any of the following criteria:

• Have a gross annual revenue of over $25 million.
• Buy, sell, or share the personal information of 100,000 or more California residents, households, or devices.
• Derive 50% or more of their annual revenue from selling California residents’ personal information.

It does not apply to nonprofit organizations or government agencies.

Under the CCPA if there is a data breach, then individuals have the option to sue under limited circumstances. Outside of those select situations, the Attorney General or the CPPA can take legal action.

Businesses must respond to requests for information within 45 days, which means the clock is ticking each and every time a California resident reaches out to your organization with a data privacy request.

How Privacy Bee safeguards you

Whether you’re an individual seeking identity theft protection or a business aiming for mitigated data breach risk, Privacy Bee offers proactive measures to thwart data abuse. In addition, businesses can rely on Privacy Bee to ensure compliance with website cookie practices, avoiding potential legal consequences from regulatory bodies like the CPPA or the California Attorney General.

In this vast billion-dollar industry, personal data is being bought and sold every second, putting you and your business at risk. Aggressive salespeople, spammers, recruiters, and other entities with limited accountability purchase this data, and use it to hound your family, your employees, and your customers. In doing so, they destroy peace of mind and disrupt productivity by bombarding people with confusing and scary messaging.

Right at the heart of this issue, Data Brokers amass your personal information for profit, trading it amongst various entities beyond your awareness or control. It’s evident how having private information circulating on the internet can create dangerous situations when accessed by cybercriminals. A single breach can lead to identity theft, opening the door for hackers and malicious actors to compromise your family members or critical business data.

Before any of these scenarios unfold, enlist Privacy Bee’s services to uncover all of the locations across the internet and dark web where your data is exposed. With minimal effort, purge your personal data from these sites and get on the offensive. External Data Privacy emphasizes this proactive approach and can extend to others you choose to include in the service, ensuring comprehensive protection.

Privacy, a fundamental human right, shouldn’t be negotiable or political. The Privacy Bee team dedicates itself to vigilantly monitoring user data for security breaches and notifying users when sensitive information is breached. Wherever personal or sensitive data surfaces, we compel organizations to erase it and halt further data collection.

Privacy Bee proactively guards against:

• Unsolicited emails (spam)
• Unwanted telemarketing calls
• Cyberstalking
• Swatting
• Doxxing
• Blackmail
• Identity theft

For businesses, Privacy Bee elevates personal data hygiene across the entire organization. It curbs spam outreach, enhancing employee productivity, and mitigates employee poaching while reducing the ever-growing threat of costly data breaches.

Whether you’re an individual focused on safeguarding yourself and your loved ones or a business striving to secure employees and customers while maintaining regulatory compliance, Privacy Bee empowers you to reclaim control of your private data.