The Personal Informational Law and Agency Initiative of 2020, also known as Proposition 24, is seen as a risk to consumer data privacy, despite claims that it would foster such rights said The Daily News.
Proposed by San Francisco real estate developer Alastair Mactaggart, Prop. 24 is a tool to strengthen privacy rights. While some support the initiative, they also acknowledge that its provisions are not perfect but that it has the potential to protect consumers’ privacy online.
However, some groups see this initiative not as a positive addition to data protection-related laws, but as a detrimental measure. Critics say that the 52-page ballot measure “would not improve digital privacy” but only “create huge exemptions and new state bureaucracy,” as per the Daily News.
The report noted that California is one of the better states when it comes to protecting user info, especially as it directly guarantees the right to privacy. It also has one of the most advanced policies when it comes to phone surveillance and facial recognition.
One of the most notable progress in data laws in the state is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018. While it considered inadequate, the CA is the first state to adopt such a law makes it a remarkable development in the United States.
In light of the inadequacies posed by the CCPA, which was only passed this year, many people are already proposing reforms. Court House News cited Mactaggart saying, “It’s a perfect time to go on the ballot.”
He added, “It was going to be impossible for these big tech companies to spend money against privacy. The climate now is so much more on the defensive. Antitrust is a huge deal and if they’re spending a lot of money against privacy that’s not good for their image in the antitrust war.”
However, the Daily News remarked that Prop. 24 is the wrong solution to this issue as it “would leave Californians in a worse position.”
The report explained that the initiative “would create huge exceptions for key classes of sensitive information,” as opposed to protecting consumers from firms handing over their information to government agencies.
Currently, businesses can retain collected data for investigation for only 90 days. However, the initiative adds 90 days to this period, giving law enforcement agencies access to customer info without a warrant or subpoena. for a total of 180 days.
The Proposition also misses a lot of vital aspects of an effective data protection law, which includes opt-ins and the right to be forgotten. It also adds hurdles such as bureaucracy and exemptions.
