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ARTICLE · 20 OCTOBER 2025

Cybersecurity Month Legislative Update: California's 'Opt Me Out Act' Sets New Standard For Browser-Level Privacy Control

Thompson Coburn LLP
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California continues to set the pace for privacy and cybersecurity regulation.

United StatesTechnology
Brittney Mollman
Brittney Mollman
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California continues to set the pace for privacy and cybersecurity regulation.

On October 8, 2025, Governor Newsom signed AB 566 (Lowenthal) into law—nicknamed the California Opt Me Out Act. The bill requires major web browsers to include a built-in, user-controlled setting allowing Californians to send an opt-out preference signal, a single switch that tells all visited websites to stop selling or sharing their personal information.

What It Means

Simpler user control: Consumers can express opt-out preferences once, at the browser level.

Enterprise impact: Companies that collect or share personal data must ensure their websites detect and honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals consistently.

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