New California Privacy Law – It doesn’t apply to you!

by | Dec 17, 2019 | Business Registration & Taxes

Here’s a quick update about a new privacy law you might have heard about….

There’s a new privacy law going into effect on January 1st called “CCPA” – the California Consumer Privacy Act.

With so much hubbub about the GDPR last year, I can understand if your ears are primed when you hear about a “new privacy law” affecting the US. I love that you want to comply with the law!

However, it’s mostly likely that this law DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU if you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur.

 

 

Here’s what you need to know about the new California Consumer Privacy Act:

1.Under the new law, California residents will be able to:

  • Know what personal information is being collected about them and access it– whether that info is being collected in person or online
  • Know if their personal information is disclosed to anyone and to whom it was disclosed
  • Know if their personal information is sold – and the right to opt out of the sale
  • Know that they will receive equal service and pricing, whether or not they exercise their privacy rights

2.HOWEVER, this law only applies to “businesses” which are defined as meeting one of these criteria:

  • Have annual gross revenue (sales) over $25 MILLION
  • Derive over 50% of its annual revenue from SELLING customer’s personal information
  • Buy, sell, receive or share personal information of over 50,000 California residents, households or devices each year.
  •  

Therefore, if you’re a small biz owner, this law doesn’t apply to you. 

Since most online coaches, entrepreneurs, practitioners and biz owners do NOT make over $25 million, do NOT get 50% of their revenue from selling personal information of its customers, and/or do NOT do anything with personal information of over 50,000 California residents, this law doesn’t impact you.

What does this mean for you?

You don’t need to do anything differently.
You don’t need to change your opt-in language.
You don’t need to contact your “list”.
You don’t need to update your Privacy Policy because of this law.

You should be good to go as is.

Now if that’s not a wonderful end-of-the-year legal gift to you, I don’t know what is! ????

If you want to learn more about the CCPA, check out this short article in Fortune online (it’s written in plain English!)

Know that privacy laws like this will be enacted more and more often by states and the US government in the future, so it’s good to be aware of these laws and when they do – and don’t – affect you. I’ll do my best to update you when I learn of them.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!