San Francisco voters will decide on November 6, 2018, whether to enact the city’s “Privacy First Policy” that intends to protect the personal information of residents and visitors from misuse by companies doing business in San Francisco. The policy builds upon the California Consumer Privacy Act passed in June 2018, which gives consumers various rights, such as the right to know what information is being collected about them and whether it is being sold and the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information. The proposed policy sets out 11 principles for the city’s government to abide by when adopting privacy laws and regulations.
If San Francisco voters approve the policy, business will be required to disclose their data collection policies and obtain input from communities impacted when drafting those policies. San Francisco lawmakers will then have to negotiate a data collection ordinance by May 31, 2019, that would apply to any entity that contracts, leases or signs permits with the city government. San Francisco is the second major city, following Chicago, that has taken expansive action to protect residents from the misuse and misappropriation of their personal data.
Read more on our issued Client Alert here.