California Passes Sweeping Consumer Privacy Act

On June 27 the California Senate and Assembly unanimously approved the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), and Governor Jerry Brown signed it into law the same day. The CCPA was rushed through the legislative process to avoid passage of a more stringent privacy law planned for California’s November ballot. Organizations subject to the law must be ready to comply by January 1, 2020.

The law has been characterized as the first “GDPR-like” privacy statute to be enacted in the United States, and includes sweeping changes that will be felt not only in California, but across the nation and the globe. The CCPA will require many organizations that process personal information of California residents to take stock of their privacy and security practices, and update or implement new policies, procedures and controls to address the law.