California Legislature Advances SB 690 to Limit CIPA Lawsuits
The California Legislature is advancing Senate Bill 690 (SB 690), which aims to address the surge of lawsuits alleging violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). Originally introduced in 2025, the bill sought to create a broad 'commercial business purpose' exception to several CIPA provisions, including wiretapping and eavesdropping. Recent amendments have narrowed the bill's scope, focusing on restricting private enforcement for claims under CIPA's pen register and trap-and-trace provisions related to websites and online applications. The amendment would authorize only the California Attorney General to bring actions for violations of section 638.51, potentially dismissing many pending claims based on website tracking. This legislative move is in response to plaintiffs using section 638.51 to challenge routine website operations, alleging unauthorized tracking activity. 
