Consumer Groups Condemn Calif. Senate For Passing Ineffective Bill Amending CIPA

“SB 690 gives the green-light to dystopian big tech surveillance practices which will endanger the privacy and safety of all Californians," the organizations said in a statement.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), TechEquity, Consumer Federation of California, Tech Oversight California, The California Low-Income Consumer Coalition, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and ACLU California Action issued the statement.

Privacy lawyers argue that SB-690 may reduce frivolous lawsuits that are an abuse of the older statute (see 2505280028). But they also say that plaintiffs' lawyers may find workarounds even if SB-690 eventually becomes law.

However, the consumer groups said, "SB-690 would allow companies to spy on us to get our sensitive personal information, such as our immigration status or what healthcare we’ve received. And once they have our sensitive personal information, SB-690 places no limits on how that business can use or share that information, allowing them to share it with data brokers, immigration officials, or law enforcement officials in states that restrict reproductive or gender-affirming care."

Sponsored by Sen. Anna Caballero (D), the bill would eliminate wiretapping, pen register and trap-and-trace liabilities from online tracking technologies used for business under the old wiretapping statute.

“At a time [when] agencies of the federal government are actively targeting individuals based on information collected from businesses about their political beliefs, religious affiliations, or health decisions, we cannot risk sharing even more sensitive information with them," the groups added. "The legislature should be doing all it can to protect Californians, not make it easier for the federal government to secretly obtain our sensitive information.”