California Wiretapping Law Update Sparks Privacy Debate, Eliminating Right to Sue Over Internet Surveillance
A bipartisan update to California's wiretapping law, the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), has eliminated the right to sue over internet-based surveillance, a key provision of the 57-year-old statute. Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 690 into law, which removes the ability for individuals to sue companies for unauthorized use of certain internet-tracking technologies, such as pen registers. The original CIPA, enacted in 1967, required court orders for wiretapping and extended over time to cover internet communications like email and websites. In 2015, a provision was added allowing residents to sue companies for up to $5,000 per violation, plus triple damages, for unauthorized use of tracking tools. Governor Newsom and the law's sponsors argue that this provision has led to thousands of 'vexatious' lawsuits and demand letters against businesses using common internet-tracking tools like browser cookies for legitimate purposes. Conversely, privacy advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Uni...
