Compliance Management, Government Regulations, Privacy

California signs landmark digital privacy bill

California Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA) into law on Thursday, which imposes new digital privacy protections and guidelines for warrants concerning data collection, including stingray use.

The law also prevents a government entity from compelling businesses to turn over a client's electronic communication information or metadata without a warrant, other than defined exceptions.

The legislation was drafted to overhaul the states electronic privacy laws for the modern digital world and go further than national legislation that is currently under consideration by the U.S. Congress.

Nicole Ozer, Technology & Civil Liberties Policy Director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California called the law “a landmark win” in an ACLU statement, adding that the organization hopes "this is a model for the rest of the nation in protecting our digital privacy rights.”

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