New California Privacy Law Calls For Significant Changes

On the heels of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California has now passed a digital privacy law that gives consumers more control over their personal information online. The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 is unprecedented in the United States in that it applies European-level compliance obligations. The new law -- which applies to any organization doing business in California and annually handling the information of more than 50,000 consumers, households, or devices -- includes new disclosure requirements, consumer rights, training obligations, potential penalties for noncompliance, and more. It will take effect on January 1, 2020. Here are some of the key provisions: