Tell California lawmakers to make privacy rights enforceable

A state bill that would give consumers the right to sue companies that violate their personal information is being stonewalled via closed-door meetings between tech lobbyists and state lawmakers.

California state bill SB 561 would give consumers the right to sue companies that violate their personal information.

When the state of California passed consumer privacy protections last year, lawmakers left out key enforcement tools. An important state bill SB 561, endorsed by consumer and advocacy groups, would help fill the gap by giving consumers the right to sue companies that violate their personal information. Even California Attorney General Xavier Becerra supports it.

But now SB 561 is being stonewalled via closed-door meetings between tech lobbyists and lawmakers. If the bill doesn’t get voted on in the Senate Appropriations Committee THIS WEEK — it’s dead.

Can we count on you to call California Senate Appropriations Chair Senator Anthony Portantino and tell him to support SB 561? Call now: (916) 651–4025

Then, click here to tell YOUR state senator to support SB 561 too.

“It is not enough for government to pass laws that protect consumers from corporations that harvest and monetize their personal data. It is also necessary for these laws to have bite, to ensure companies do not ignore them. The best way to do so is to empower ordinary consumers to bring their own lawsuits against the companies that violate their privacy rights.”

- Adam Schwartz at EFF writes in a January 2019 blog post.