California outlines ways to comply with upcoming privacy law
California officials propose companies must notify California residents of their data privacy rights in plain language and must verify people's identities before releasing data. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced draft regulations that also spell out ways people can ask for their personal information to be deleted from company databases.
The rules are being drafted to implement a landmark state privacy law taking effect in January. The law allows California residents to learn what information companies hold on them, request deletion and opt out of the sale of their personal info.
Although only California residents can make requests, the law is expected to have broader impact on how companies manage and sell people's information online. That's because companies outside the state must comply if they meet relatively low thresholds.
The law was born out of a desire for people to have more control over their personal information online.