Did you know that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives consumers more control over their information? This is why you must understand what is the CCPA.

Businesses collect a lot of personal information that you may not realize. So, CCPA regulations are an excellent guideline for implementing privacy laws. This landmark regulation secures privacy rights for customers in ways like never before.

Consumers can find out what information a company collects and how it gets shared and used. They can also exercise their right to delete personal information. Here is everything you need to know about privacy protection and CCPA compliance.

What Is the CCPA?

California residents can ask businesses to disclose the personal information they have. It is a business’s responsibility to inform consumers what that information will get used for.

A consumer may also ask you to delete their information to prevent selling it. People will also have the right to be notified. This can happen before or during the time your company collects personal information.

This way, businesses cannot discriminate against consumers exercising their rights under CCPA rules.

Personal Information Under CCPA

Personal information is considered data that relates to or could be linked with someone or their household. People need privacy protection. The information collected can include a lot of sensitive details. Such as:

• Names
• Email addresses
• Record of things purchased
• Geolocation data
• Browsing history
• Fingerprints
• Social security numbers

Companies collect this information to create a profile about their consumers’ characteristics and preferences. But people feel uncomfortable if this data is not secure.

So, to ensure that your business adheres to strict data privacy laws, here is more information about Insurance Compliance.

Privacy Protection

Consumers can sue a business for CCPA violations if there is a data breach. A person can press charges if their nonredacted and nonencrypted personal information is stolen.

Especially if the company failed to maintain privacy protection procedures. People can also request businesses to stop selling their personal information by “opting out.”

If you receive an opt-out request, you may not distribute or resell someone’s personal information. Unless they provide authorization allowing you to do so.

If you want customers to opt back in, you may need to wait at least 12 months before asking. There are some exceptions to the opt-out request. For example, businesses can refuse to stop selling a customer’s personal information.

This can happen if the sale is essential for the company to follow its legal obligations.

Another instance is when personal information includes consumer credit reporting or medical information. These are the types of information that are exempt from CCPA.

CCPA Compliance

Now that you know what is the CCPA, it is time to secure your consumers’ personal information. Remember that businesses cannot deny services or goods if customers exercise their rights under the CCPA.

Companies can offer promotions and discounts in exchange for information. But this must only be done if the financial incentive provided is reasonably related to the value of the information collected.

If you enjoyed reading this IT compliance guide, check out some of our other posts for more details.