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Hello all, and happy Thursday!
Apparently, California doesn't just keep all those regulations around for show. California’s attorney general just handed out the largest CCPA fine to date, with a $1.55 million settlement with Healthline Media LLC. The violations generally centered around failing to honor consumer opt-outs for targeted advertising and data transfers to third parties.
Here’s what stood out to me:
- US privacy enforcement is finally catching up to the EU. Used to be these six-figure fines were only something you saw come out of France or Ireland. Looks like those days are over.
- This underscores why targeted advertising can be such a privacy violation. Healthline visitors were reading articles about potentially sensitive medical conditions and—even though they opted out—received ads related to articles they read on Crohn's disease, MS, and more. What business is it of some random advertiser to know that you might have Crohn’s disease?!
- Businesses need to prioritize privacy management and stop treating it as a box to check off. Healthline had all the trappings of compliance, including three separate opt-out mechanisms. But none of them actually functioned as intended. The AG said it best in their complaint: “Borrowing the old phrase, businesses should trust—but verify—that their privacy compliance measures work as intended.” If it’s nobody’s job to verify, then all you’re left with is trusting that you’re compliant.
Scroll down to read the attorney general's press release on the action.
Best,
Arlo
P.S. Tomorrow’s the 4th of July! As such, the Osano team will be out of the office. Hope you’re spending the day grilling with your loved ones—maybe soaking up some rays at the beach?
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