California's New "Delete Act" Challenges Data Brokers

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Delete Act into law in a meaningful legal event. The bill proposes to allow Californians to quickly delete their information from all data brokers registered with the state. It's a digital mop-up service enabling residents to sweep their digital footprints.

The Delete Act is being introduced

California already has strong privacy regulations that allow residents to request that their data be removed from data brokers. Still, it's a patchwork process requiring each company's individual requests. Senator Josh Becker's Delete Act takes this to a new level by requiring all state data brokers to honor a single, consistent deletion request process. This system will be managed by the California Privacy Protection Agency, offering Californians an efficient way to manage their digital footprints.

In addition, the Delete Act requires data brokers to register with the privacy office and disclose the types of personal data they acquire. This will increase transparency and accountability in the digital sphere, giving California residents more control over their online presence.

Reactions Vary

The Delete Act has elicited conflicting opinions. A coalition of advertising firms recently pressured Governor Newsom to veto the law, claiming it would jeopardize California consumers' access to free and low-cost internet services. They contended that the law would disrupt the data needed for modern advertising and marketing, subsidizing various free or low-cost internet products ranging from maps to news to music.

They believe this legislation will have far-reaching consequences on the digital world, potentially affecting users' access to accessible and affordable content.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, on the other hand, has praised the law, arguing that it will increase individuals' sovereignty over their personal information. California Attorney General Rob Bonta also endorsed the proposal, citing the impracticality of requiring individuals to submit separate deletion requests to the state's 500 state-registered data brokers.

The Way Forward

The advertising industry, which is opposed to the law, claims it will harm small businesses and obstruct anti-fraud operations, loyalty programs, and research. They are concerned that the Delete Act will make it difficult for new enterprises to interact with clients, potentially driving smaller businesses out of the market.

However, the bill allows data brokers to preserve some consumer data for security reasons, even after a deletion request. Nonetheless, the advertising sector claims that this clause does not go far enough to allow data brokers to combat fraud effectively.

In essence, passing the Delete Act is a big step forward in the ongoing conflict between privacy and advertising. It's like a chess game where the pieces are still in play. The outcome is unknown, but one thing is sure: the battle over data privacy and the advertising industry is far from done. Keep an eye on this space for the next strategic move in this digital story.

Read next: Google Gets a Get-Out-Of-Jail Card in Sonos Showdown