The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a law that gives California residents the right to know what personal information companies collect, use, and share about them, as well as the right to control how companies use that data. It is the first comprehensive state-level data privacy law in the United States and it has set a precedent for other states.
The CCPA was passed in 2018 and went into effect in 2020. The law was created in response to the increasing concern about data privacy and the need for stricter regulations of companies that collect and use consumer data. It was designed to give California residents more control over their data and to protect their privacy.
The CCPA grants California residents the right to know what personal information companies collect, use, and share about them. Companies must disclose the categories of personal information they collect, the purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom that data is shared.
The law also gives California residents the right to request that companies delete the personal information they have collected about them. Companies must respond to a deletion request within 45 days and must provide a "clear and conspicuous" link on their website to allow consumers to submit a request.
Finally, the CCPA grants California residents the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information. Companies must provide a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link on their website and must not sell personal information to third parties without the consumer's consent.
The CCPA applies to companies that meet certain criteria, including companies that do business in California, have annual gross revenues exceeding $25 million, buy, sell, or share the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers, households, or devices, or derive 50% or more of their annual revenues from selling consumers' personal information.