The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), enacted in 2018 and later strengthened by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) in 2020, is one of the most comprehensive privacy laws in the United States. Its purpose is to give California consumers greater control over their personal information — regulating how businesses collect, use, share, and sell data, while enforcing transparency and accountability across the digital ecosystem.
Inspired by principles similar to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the CCPA represents a major shift in U.S. data-protection standards, setting a precedent for consumer privacy and corporate responsibility in the digital age.
Key Consumer Rights
The CCPA grants consumers a defined set of data-privacy rights that enhance visibility and control over their personal information:
- Right to Know – what personal information a business collects, for what purposes, and with whom it is shared or sold.
- Right to Delete – to request the deletion of personal data collected by a business, with certain legal exceptions.
- Right to Correct – to request the correction of inaccurate or outdated personal information.
- Right to Opt-Out – to direct a business not to sell or share their personal information with third parties.
- Right to Non-Discrimination – to ensure that businesses do not penalize or discriminate against individuals for exercising their privacy rights.
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Data – to restrict how companies process highly sensitive information, such as biometric, financial, health, or geolocation data.
Business Obligations
Businesses operating in California or handling the personal data of California residents must comply with strict data-management and security requirements, including:
- Providing clear and accessible notices about what categories of information are collected and why.
- Obtaining informed consent before selling or sharing personal data.
- Implementing reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent unauthorized access, destruction, or disclosure.
- Signing contracts with third parties and service providers that ensure equivalent levels of privacy protection.
- Responding to consumer requests (access, correction, deletion, or limitation) within legally established timeframes.
These requirements not only reinforce legal compliance but also foster a culture of cybersecurity and data governance built on transparency, accountability, and prevention.
CCPA and Cybersecurity
Beyond compliance, the CCPA integrates cybersecurity as a foundational component of privacy protection.
Section 1798.150 establishes a consumer’s right to take legal action if a business fails to maintain “reasonable security procedures” and experiences a data breach involving personal information.
In practice, this means organizations must adopt technical and organizational safeguards such as:
- Robust information-security policies and incident-response plans.
- Encryption, authentication, and access-control mechanisms.
- Breach-notification procedures.
- Regular risk assessments and privacy audits.
By enforcing these standards, the CCPA helps organizations strengthen their cyber resilience, reduce exposure to legal and reputational risks, and build digital trust with customers and stakeholders.
Enforcement and Penalties
The CCPA is enforced by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and the California Attorney General, both empowered to impose administrative fines and civil penalties for violations.
Consumers also have a private right of action in cases where their personal data is compromised due to a company’s failure to implement adequate security measures.
For organizations, compliance is not optional — it is a strategic imperative to align privacy, governance, and cybersecurity under a unified framework of protection and trust.
Learn More
Official text and updates available on the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) website: https://cppa.ca.gov