SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Consumer Reports has endorsed California Proposition 24, The California Privacy Rights Act. The measure, which is currently on the November 3rd ballot, would amend the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the first-of-its-kind privacy law that gives Californians the right to access, delete, and stop the sale of their information.
Consumer Reports has played a leading role in ensuring that the CCPA works for consumers. CR has documented companies’ efforts to avoid complying with the CCPA since it went into effect in January 2020, and pointed out the difficulties that consumers have faced in exercising their new privacy rights. CR also fought on behalf of consumers for numerous pieces of legislation to strengthen the CCPA, and defended the CCPA from being weakened by a flurry of industry-supported bills in the 2019 legislative session. While the ballot measure is not perfect, it would address significant loopholes that companies have exploited to deny consumers’ opt-out requests—loopholes that the legislature, despite the efforts of key champions in Sacramento, has not been able to address.
“Some of the biggest tech companies have refused to honor Californians’ requests to stop the disclosure of their information for behavioral advertising, and they’re lobbying for exemptions for these practices in other states,” said Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “California consumers should use their power as citizens to vote for Proposition 24 to show that they will stand up for themselves if companies and legislators won’t.”
Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, said, “Despite the passage of the CCPA, few companies have meaningfully curbed their data-sharing practices, even when a consumer asks them to stop. Proposition 24 would close up some of the worst loopholes in the CCPA, to help make the new law more workable for consumers.”
Contact: Cyrus Rassool, cyrus.rassool@consumer.org