California Ballot Initiative Proposed to Tighten CCPA

The author of the California privacy ballot initiative that spawned the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) pitched another ballot vote. Since the 2018 law, “some of the world’s largest companies have actively and explicitly prioritized weakening the CCPA,” and “technological tools have evolved in ways that exploit a consumer’s data,” Californians for Consumer Privacy’s Alastair Mactaggart said Wednesday. The proposal would address use and sale of sensitive personal information including health and financial information, racial or ethnic origin and precise geolocation, triple CCPA fines for violating children’s privacy laws and require opt-in consent to collect data from kids under 16 and require transparency about “automated decision-making and profiling.” It would establish the California Privacy Protection Agency, with a $5 million budget. Lawmakers made minor CCPA tweaks in their session ended this month, rejecting significant changes proposed (see 1909200030). In 2018, Mactaggart had enough signatures to get a ballot initiative but pulled it when legislators agreed to pass CCPA. He would need signatures from 623,212 registered voters to get his new proposal on 2020’s ballot.