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- A new law gives you the power to tell websites not to sell your personal data. Here's how to exercise your rights.
A new law gives you the power to tell websites not to sell your personal data. Here's how to exercise your rights.
Under the law, sites are required to feature a link on their homepage that users can click on to request that their personal data not be sold to third parties.
Clicking the link will enable users to opt out, usually through a dialogue box like this one.
The law also requires that businesses tell users what information is being collected about them, ranging from their name and contact information to their browsing history.
This information can be found in companies' privacy policies. If you're unable to find a breakdown of information collected, contact the company directly.
The law also mandates that companies give people a more detailed breakdown of the types of third parties it shares their personal data with.
This information should also be included in companies' privacy policy. While the law requires companies to disclose the types of third parties that personal data is shared with, it doesn't mandate that they name the specific third parties.
Companies have to let people request a copy of the personal information that the company has tracked.
Finally, the law requires that everyone have access to the same services for the same price, even if they opt out of sharing their personal information.
Companies can't charge California residents more money if they choose to opt out of data-sharing.
While the CCPA only guarantees rights for California residents, several other states are weighing similar bills — and in the meantime, residents of other states can still request information about their data, even if companies aren't legally obligated to comply.
The International Association of Privacy Professionals has set up a tracker to gauge the progress of similar privacy bills in other states.
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