California State Senator Josh Becker introduced legislation this month that would put further restrictions on how data brokers can collect and maintain information.
While California has already set the standard for online privacy, Becker’s bill (SB 362) would impose additional requirements on the companies and sites most responsible for selling and sharing state residents' private data.
“Data brokers spend their days and nights mining for personal information so they can build dossiers on millions of people and sell them to the highest bidder,” said Becker in a statement. “(SB 362) is based on a very simple premise: Every Californian should be able to control who has access to their personal information and what they can do with it.”
Should the bill pass – and that will likely not be known for several months – it would require data brokers to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and disclose the types of personal information they collect. The CPPA would then create a fast and efficient (and free) way for residents to let data brokers know they want their personal information deleted. Brokers that fail to do so would be subject to fines for each violation.
The 360Civic View
We’ve been dealing with data brokers for more than a decade. While our clients’ personal data winds up on the Internet from numerous sources, these guys are responsible for a significant portion of what we need to clean up on behalf of the judges, police officers, and other public servants we represent.
From our perspective, anything that makes it easier to get this content removed is welcome. However…
What It Won’t Do
But (and there’s always a ‘but’), this potential law (like those already on the books in California) is not enough to keep you safe. Since it only covers data brokers, it will not stop others from selling your information, including social media platforms like Facebook, retailer and restaurant loyalty programs, and cable companies, to name a few.
If you are a judge, police officer or other protected individual, this bill would also not remove you from malicious sites and others that leak your address and threaten your family.
Comprehensive Protection is Available
Our IronWall360 protection monitors all aspects of the internet – not just the data brokers. When we find our clients' personal information that shouldn’t be there, we take direct action to make sure that content is removed.
We cover our clients' families as well, because someone determined to go after a person they have targeted will also try to locate them through the online profiles of spouses and children.
We provide VPN (through NordVPN), VoIP numbers, email aliases, and other additional security measures that help to keep our clients’ private data secure. Such preventative steps lower their online footprint, which means there won’t be as much content to track down and remove.
When there is an active threat against one of our clients, we provide emergency support to address the situation.
We go above and beyond what every other company provides.
We are the only company that delivers all of these safeguards – and more.
Does it work? Our renewal rate is over 90% for over 10 years. Yes, it works.
Find out more about why this service is needed more than ever, and why we’re the top choice for public servants in our space.
