On January 1, 2020, a bill was passed that will crack down on personal privacy in California. This set of laws, known as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), implements greater privacy rights for individuals in California and affects businesses and consumers alike. In fact, the California privacy laws and Wickr are more closely aligned in their privacy promises than you might think.
Still, this law enacts a huge change in the way many businesses protect the privacy of their users and consumers. With big changes coming this year in the realm of private data protection, you need to know what this act entails and how it affects you.
What California Privacy Laws Mean for You
The CCPA aims to protect consumers’ data in the ever-growing age of the Internet. You can find the CCPA’s full text posted publicly on the California Legislative Information website.
Here are the points the act hits on:
- Privacy is an inalienable right of every person.
- California residents have the right to know what data is being collected, as well as if or when it is sold to another party.
- Businesses and enterprises will now be held to a higher standard when it comes to collecting and selling data.
The act goes deeper than just a few bullet points, though. Here’s what businesses and consumers need to know as we move into the next decade and jump into a new year.
What It Means for Enterprises
As a decision-maker of a business, you should know that the CCPA affects businesses all over the United States, not just those based in California. If your business has customers or users in California or has the potential to attract someone from the state, you should brush up on the intricacies of the CCPA to protect your business.
Consumers must now be informed if you plan to sell their data, and they are allowed to say no and retain their privacy. If your business collects personal data on its consumers and meets certain criteria outlined in the CCPA, it must comply with the CCPA going forward into 2020. Failure to comply with the act can result in a fine of around $7,500 per intentional violation.
A new cyber attack takes place every 39 seconds. To prevent a breach, businesses should carefully secure their information, including their communications. AWS Wickr encrypts every message from the time it is sent, making it an excellent choice for a secure team collaboration space. The new California privacy laws and Wickr go hand-in-hand in protecting consumers, and Wickr takes an extra step to secure all business communications and lessen the likelihood of leaked information.
What It Means for Your Personal Information
In a world where people may not trust most websites and businesses, privacy is more important than ever. As a consumer, it’s important that your data is protected and that you can rely on the enterprises in which you have entrusted your sensitive information.
If you avidly use social media and are a resident of California, you may be relieved to know that the CCPA offers more transparency when it comes to social media platforms storing and using your personal data. Most personal information on social media is used for ad targeting, but the CCPA reaffirms that users should be in control of the data they provide.
If a business you have trusted with your personal information experiences a data breach as a direct result of not abiding by the CCPA, you can urge for civil action to recover the damages the leak cost you.
Understanding California Privacy Laws and Wickr
With these big changes making a splash in the new decade, you can expect enterprises to change the way they do business ― perhaps affecting how you conduct your day-to-day as well. Moving forward, you will need a secure space to store and discuss sensitive information, whether your enterprise has 10 clients or 10,000 clients.
Privacy is built into Wickr’s DNA. From the beginning, every message is end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only the users communicating can read messages that have been sent. Wickr has plenty of additional features to optimize security, such as a burn-on-read feature that will delete a message after it has been seen by the intended recipient, as well as screenshot detection capabilities.
Wickr supports businesses that employ a least privilege strategy ― that is, sensitive information is left on a “need-to-know” basis rather than handed out to every employee. Wickr has extensive administrative controls to keep your data safe and secure. The new California privacy laws and Wickr share the same ultimate goal ― to protect your sensitive data.
Make Protecting Your Privacy a New Year’s Resolution with AWS Wickr
Technology use grows more each day. With more sensitive information becoming wholly digital, you should commit to a fully encrypted space for your team to collaborate. To protect yourself, your business, and your customers, make the switch to a platform dedicated to security above all else.
The new California privacy laws and Wickr both strive to protect your information and keep your personal data secure. After all, the U.S. Department of Defense trusts Wickr with its sensitive information ― why don’t you?
Download AWS Wickr to employ the highest level of encryption for your team.