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California

California has long played a leading role in shaping U.S. privacy, technology, and AI regulation. The “California Effect” describes how the state’s laws and regulatory standards can influence business practices and policymaking far beyond its borders. Explore the CCPA and CPRA, CPPA regulations and enforcement, consumer rights, ADMT, cybersecurity, risk assessments, data brokers, children’s privacy, biometrics, AI governance, and other developments driving U.S. privacy and AI policy.

California’s CIPA Problem: How a 1967 Wiretap Law Became a Website-Tracking Litigation Machine—and What SB 690 Would Change

California’s CIPA Problem: How a 1967 Wiretap Law Became a Website-Tracking Litigation Machine—and What SB 690 Would Change

How did a 1967 wiretap law become a weapon against modern website tracking? CIPA has fueled claims over pixels, cookies, session replay, and pen registers. California’s SB 690 could sharply narrow that litigation—but it would leave important CIPA risks intact.

California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act: Privacy Rules at the Checkout Counter

California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act: Privacy Rules at the Checkout Counter

California’s Song-Beverly Credit Card Act limits the personal information businesses may collect during credit card transactions, regulates card receipts, and creates significant compliance risks. Here’s what businesses need to know about this early California privacy law.

California’s Frontier AI Transparency Act: Building an Ongoing Safety and Oversight System for Powerful General-Purpose AI Models

California’s Frontier AI Transparency Act: Building an Ongoing Safety and Oversight System for Powerful General-Purpose AI Models

California’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA) brings AI safety into legal compliance, requiring frontier developers to publish disclosures, report critical safety incidents, and—for the largest developers—adopt and follow formal AI safety frameworks.

California’s AI Voice Disclosure Rule: When Robocalls Must Tell You the Voice Is Artificial

California’s AI Voice Disclosure Rule: When Robocalls Must Tell You the Voice Is Artificial

California now requires disclosure when certain automated calls use AI-generated or significantly AI-altered voices. AB 2905 adds the rule to existing robocall law, requiring an upfront natural-voice announcement before the prerecorded message plays.

California’s AI Liability Rule: Why “The AI Did It” Is No Longer a Defense

California’s AI Liability Rule: Why “The AI Did It” Is No Longer a Defense

California Civil Code § 1714.46 establishes a simple rule for AI liability: defendants cannot escape responsibility by arguing that AI acted autonomously. The law preserves traditional defenses while making clear that “the AI did it” is not one of them.

CalOPPA Explained: California’s Online Privacy Policy Law

CalOPPA Explained: California’s Online Privacy Policy Law

A practical guide to CalOPPA, California’s landmark online privacy policy law. Learn who and what it covers, what privacy notices must disclose, how policies must be posted, and what enforcement and remedies may follow—plus practice tips, case studies, and links to key legal resources, and guidance.

California’s Financial Information Privacy Act (CalFIPA): A Practical Guide

California’s Financial Information Privacy Act (CalFIPA): A Practical Guide

California’s Financial Information Privacy Act (CalFIPA) regulates how financial institutions share consumers’ nonpublic personal information. This guide explains who and what CalFIPA covers, consumer rights, consent rules, exceptions, FCRA preemption, and enforcement.