Big Tech Worried as California Law Signals U.S. Privacy Push
- Legislation expected to head off measure targeted for ballot
- State consumers gain greater control over personal information
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a sweeping data-privacy law on Thursday that has worried groups representing big technology companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google as well as the telecommunications, retail and pharmaceutical industries.
The move by the most populous U.S. state follows the roll out in May of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which prompted many companies to adjust practices worldwide, and could signal pushes in other states. Republican and Democratic members of Congress have said that new laws might be necessary to protect consumers following high-profile data scandals.