Consumer Counterpoint – Quick Take 6 – California Senate Bill 690 Passed, What’s Next? (Video)

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with Governor Newsom signing several landmark privacy and AI bills into law, including comprehensive child safety measures, AI auditor oversight frameworks, and expanded data protection requirements. How will these new regulations reshape digital advertising, workplace AI deployment, and online platform obligations for businesses operating in California?

California's Senate Bill 690 eliminates the private right of action for pen register claims under CIPA when violations arise from website or mobile app tracking technologies, leaving enforcement solely to the Attorney General. The bill applies retroactively to claims filed after January 1, 2025, and awaits Governor Newsom's signature with an operative date of January 1, 2027.

A recent Seventh Circuit decision is a reminder of BIPA’s financial institution GLBA exceptions. In that case, the court held that a vendor to GLBA-regulated entities was exempt from Illinois’ biometric law.

California's Legislature has unanimously passed SB 690, a landmark reform that could eliminate thousands of pending class action lawsuits based on website tracking technologies under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The bill removes the private right of action for pen register claims arising from routine web analytics tools, potentially reshaping the data privacy litigation landscape while companion bills simultaneously expand substantive privacy obligations.

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer has signed H.B. 380, dramatically expanding the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act to include stringent third-party contracting requirements, broader sensitive data protections, and lower jurisdictional thresholds. The amendments introduce California-style due diligence obligations for data disclosures, expand sensitive data categories to include neural data and financial information, and impose new profiling requirements that extend even to employment contexts. These changes po

California's Senate Bill 690 represents a pivotal legislative response to the explosion of website-tracking lawsuits under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, specifically targeting claims brought under the pen-register provision that have generated thousands of cases since 2022. While the bill would eliminate private plaintiffs' ability to pursue these particular claims involving digital tracking technologies, it leaves other CIPA provisions intact and raises questions about how the litigation landscap

New York Attorney General Letitia James has released final rules for the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. The law was signed in 2024, but the effective date was triggered by the release of these rules.

California's State Legislature has passed five major privacy bills addressing private litigation restrictions, expanded deletion rights, children's online safety, sensitive data protections, and user privacy settings. These measures, now awaiting Governor Newsom's signature, could fundamentally reshape how businesses handle consumer data and face privacy-related lawsuits in the state.

On September 2, 2026, Delaware’s Governor signed House Bill (HB) 380 and HB 381. HB 380 amends the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act (DPDPA), which was enacted in 2023 and became effective January 1, 2025. HB 381 separately amends Delaware’s computer security breach notification law.

Apple’s new Siri Recap feature is a preview of a broader governance problem. AI is moving into ordinary devices that can collect and interpret information in the background, often without a screen, popup, procurement event, or obvious notice to everyone affected.

The DOL's latest MHPAEA guidance provides plan sponsors with a practical roadmap for mental health parity compliance reviews, highlighting three key enforcement focus areas and identifying red flags in both written plan provisions and operational practices. While offering limited nonenforcement relief for certain portions of the 2024 Final Rule, the agency emphasizes continued enforcement of core statutory requirements...

A New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate advocates for legalizing adult-use cannabis to keep tax revenue in-state, while Nebraska's Supreme Court upholds voter-approved medical marijuana laws and NASDAQ opens its doors to cannabis business listings. International travelers receive a stark reminder about the risks of crossing borders with cannabis products, regardless of home state legality.

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with fewer employment bills than in previous years, but several significant measures await Governor Newsom's decision by September 30. Key proposals address automated decision systems in employment, workplace surveillance restrictions, expanded bereavement leave, AI-driven workforce displacement notices, and modifications to last year's controversial "stay-or-pay" legislation.

The U.S. House passes a bill delaying the federal hemp ban, while a lawsuit challenges Medicare coverage of hemp products and older adults increasingly turn to cannabis for recreation. Plus, marijuana complaints return to the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

After 45 years, the IRS has issued proposed regulations providing detailed guidance on nondiscrimination testing for dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs), including new correction mechanisms and clarifications on eligibility, contributions, and benefits testing. The regulations also address employer contributions and nondiscrimination rules for Trump Accounts.

For employers defending claims under the Fair Work Act, the issue is not just that more self-represented applicants are using generative AI (which they are), or that the volume of claims is rising (which it is).

The Justice Department has consolidated its tax, healthcare, and procurement fraud units under a new National Fraud Enforcement Division, equipped with a data-driven detection center that's transforming how fraud is identified. Government contractors face heightened scrutiny in three critical areas: cybersecurity attestations, Buy American compliance, and defective pricing, though a self-disclosure pathway remains available for those who act quickly.

The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries remain protected despite the September 9, 2026 expiration date, though no formal announcement has been made regarding the program's future. This development raises critical questions about employer obligations and the potential scenarios that may unfold, including termination with a 60-day notice period or an extension of the designation.

Federal ADA Title III lawsuit filings have reached 5,006 cases at mid-year 2026, marking the highest level since 2021 and suggesting a potential record-breaking year ahead. California continues to dominate with 2,426 cases, while new plaintiffs' firms enter the market and filing patterns shift across states. Will 2026 surpass the all-time high of 11,452 lawsuits set in 2021?

In Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Pfizer Inc. No. 2025-1427 (Fed. Cir. June 23, 2026), one character did a lot of damage. The difference between C2 and C1 cost Enanta the priority date of its provisional application—and led the Federal Circuit to affirm that the challenged claims were anticipated.