New Law Enables Consumers In California To Gain Back Power Over Personal Data

In this digital-forward era, companies must frequently up their game to protect consumers’ personal information. Their duty is three-fold: keep data secure and safe from hackers, take action immediately in the event of a breach, and notify the public right away if there is a danger that people’s information has been compromised. Unfortunately, companies do not always employ these best practices, often putting people at risk for identity theft.

California recently made a big move to give the public control over their personal information. Starting January 1, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act will give consumers the right to demand that companies disclose the personal information they have on them – and then require the companies to delete it if desired. The new California law is likely to motivate similar laws across the country, as it establishes important rights for consumers.

Consumer rights is an issue that’s often top-of-mind here at CaseyGerry. Over the past 70+ years, our team has held numerous businesses accountable for the protections they owe to consumers. For example, we have been at the forefront of class action lawsuits against companies whose shortcomings have led to data security breaches. We filed a class action against Yahoo! over breaches in 2013 and 2014, which the company failed to announce until two years later. Gayle M. Blatt, who chairs CaseyGerry’s complex litigation practice group, oversees the litigation as a member of the plaintiffs’ executive committee. Gayle is also a leader in actions against Facebook and Sony over separate data breaches, each involving millions of consumers. The multidistrict litigation against Sony resulted in a $15 million settlement.

California may see additional consumer data protections in the near future. Another initiative is pushing for legislation that would give consumers the right to permit or prohibit companies from selling insights from their sensitive information like health records and precise location.

To read more news stories involving consumers and how CaseyGerry helps protect them, visit our blog.