Microsoft has pledged to abide by California’s privacy law in the rest of the United States, saying it is a strong supporter (via Reuters).
California Privacy Law
Called the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) it takes aim at companies who profit off of tracking and selling user data. Once CCPA was passed there was a general fear among these companies that this would lead to a “patchwork of state laws.” Which is a fair point; It’s easier for companies to follow one federal law than 50 state ones. A problem of course is that currently there is no federal law.
But Microsoft pledged to still treat it as one. Julie Brill, Microsoft’s chief privacy officer, wrote:
Under CCPA, companies must be transparent about data collection and use, and provide people with the option to prevent their personal information from being sold. Exactly what will be required under CCPA to accomplish these goals is still developing. Microsoft will continue to monitor those changes, and make the adjustments needed to provide effective transparency and control under CCPA to all people in the U.S.
However, one unnamed critic notes that Microsoft’s pledge isn’t substantial because CCPA already offers companies like Microsoft special treatment as “service providers.”
Further Reading:
[Google’s Project Nightingale Collects Health Data on Millions of Americans]
[Is Facebook Secretly Accessing Your Camera? This Man Found a Bug]