Push to protect users’ privacy

SACRAMENTO — A ballot initiative proposed Friday would allow California consumers to know what personal information businesses are collecting from them, what they do with it — and to whom they are selling it.

Backers of the so-called California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 are aiming for a spot on the November 2018 statewide ballot. The measure would establish a consumer’s right to request that a business disclose what categories of personal data it gathers, and to say no to the sale of any of that information without fear of losing services or facing discrimination. It would require businesses to make those disclosures for free within 30 days.

Robin Swanson, a general consultant for the measure, says it would “give Californians more control over what personal information is shared.”

The proposed ballot initiative, led by Mary Ross, president of Californians for Consumer Privacy, comes several months after President Trump signed into law a repeal of privacy regulations limiting what broadband providers can do with customer data.

Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Arcadia) has been trying to revive those rules for Californians through pending legislation. His bill would require Internet service providers, such as Verizon and AT&T, to get permission from customers before using, selling or permitting access to browsing history data.

But the ballot initiative goes further, and would apply to all businesses that collect and deal data for commercial purposes.