By passing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, the Golden State is taking a major step in the protection of consumer data. The new law gives consumers insight into and control of their personal information collected online. This follows a growing number of privacy concerns around corporate access to and sales of personal information with leading tech companies like Facebook and Google.

The bill was signed by Governor Jerry Brown hours after it was unanimously approved by the State Assembly and Senate. The law will ultimately result in strict control of consumer data usage from corporate entities, as well as major fines for tech companies that do not comply with it.