The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) is still going strong in its effort to ramp up enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act and protect the rights of state residents. In July 2023, the Agency unveiled a new consumer complaint tool that is available on its website.
The new complaint form will significantly streamline the process for consumers, and give them a direct line of communication to the first-of-its-kind Agency. In the first few days the tool was available online, before it was even announced to the public, the Agency had already received over a dozen complaints. This signals a strong interest among California residents for a way to hold businesses accountable for their lack of CCPA compliance.
What This Means for Businesses
Expectations have always been that, as the CPPA takes over its role as the primary enforcer of the CCPA, enforcement activity will pick up at a rapid pace. While at this point (writing in July 2023, when the Agency’s authority has just become official) we haven’t yet seen any new investigations made public, there is still plenty of evidence to back up those expectations.
The Agency has been on a hiring blitz, bringing on new attorneys, auditors, and technology experts. Among these new hires is a Deputy Director of Enforcement, who recently laid out his vision for the future, including enforcement priorities, and who has made clear that he looks forward to vigorously enforcing California’s privacy law.
The new complaint tool fits into this overall trend. With 1000s of businesses covered by the CCPA, the online form lets the Agency essentially crowdsource the search for noncompliant businesses. Just as importantly, the system will also compel the Agency to act in many cases. That’s because, if it receives a sworn complaint, the Agency must contact the complainant to explain any action it took or failed to take in response to their complaint. This will leave the Agency with little choice but to investigate those complaints.
How to Get Compliant
The clock is ticking for businesses that have been delaying compliance for the past few years. While the California Attorney General’s Office has showcased a surprisingly robust CCPA enforcement program, it’s likely nothing compared to what businesses can expect under the California Privacy Protection Agency. With a clear mandate from voters, an ample budget, and a new source of consumer complaints, the Agency will be very busy indeed.
Getting compliant can be a daunting task for businesses that don’t have in-house privacy experts. This is especially true as the number of states with their own privacy laws has jumped into the double digits, making compliance increasingly complicated.
TrueVault is a privacy management platform that simplifies compliance with the CCPA, GDPR, and more, so that businesses can handle it on their own. Similar to online tax software, TrueVault guides you step by step through everything your business needs to do, from onboarding vendors to responding to privacy requests. As new state privacy laws are passed, they are added to your Privacy Center at no extra cost, so you never have to worry about falling behind!
To learn more about TrueVault and view a demo, contact our team today.
