Planned Parenthood California Supports Senator Becker’s “Delete Act” Ahead of Senate Appropriations Committee
(SACRAMENTO) – Californians who want to control their reproductive healthcare information will be able to hit the “delete” button when it comes to a data broker’s ability to collect and sell information on them if SB 362 by Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) becomes law.
“In a post-Dobbs era, we must do everything we can to preserve confidential access to reproductive healthcare services for everyone who wants to access those services in California,” said Becker. “Data brokers spend their days and nights mining for personal information about visits to reproductive healthcare facilities, menstrual cycle data, and purchasing habits so they can build dossiers on millions of people and sell them to the highest bidder. That’s why I’m excited to partner with Planned Parenthood to pass the Delete Act so that every Californian can finally control who has access to their personal information and what they can do with it.”
“Since Roe v. Wade was overturned nearly a year ago, numerous states have banned or restricted access to abortion, and more are following suit,” said Molly Robson, Vice President of Government Affairs, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. “It is critical to advance bold actions across every level of government during this crisis. People should not be criminalized for accessing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care. SB 362 will enhance privacy protections around abortion access data. As access to abortion is under attack, this bill will ensure that data cannot be weaponized, protecting patients and their privacy.”
Data brokers collect, analyze, and sell personal information about consumers, aggregating data from public records, social media platforms, online transactions, and much more to create detailed profiles on millions of people. Data brokers have to register with the California Attorney General, but they don’t have to report what kinds of information they collect and sell. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have a right to require a data broker to delete information they collected directly from you, but you can’t require a broker to delete information they may have acquired about you from other sources.
Under SB 362:
- Data brokers would have to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and disclose the types of personal information they collect.
- The CPPA would create a simple way for Californians to direct all data brokers to delete their personal information, free of charge.
- Data brokers that fail to adhere to the law would face civil penalties and administrative fines set by the Attorney General and the CPPA.
SB 362 will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 18, 2023.
###
First elected in 2020, Senator Becker represents the 13th Senate District covering portions of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and includes the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Half Moon Bay, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mountain View, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, and Woodside.