Californians will soon find it far easier to stop companies from selling their personal information online, following the signing of a new law aimed at changing how web browsers handle privacy signals.
Governor Gavin Newsom approved the measure on Wednesday, making California the first state to require browsers to include a clear and simple opt-out tool for users.
Although the California Consumer Privacy Act granted residents the right to block the sale of their data back in 2018, that right has been difficult to exercise in practice.
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Most major browsers never provided a direct way to send those signals. People had to manually opt out on each site or rely on obscure extensions and alternative browsers to assert their preferences.
The new law forces browser companies to introduce a built-in, easy-to-use mechanism that lets users opt out with a single action.
Instead of clicking through multiple settings across countless websites, Californians will be able to push one button to send a universal request not to sell their data.
Lawmakers approved the bill on September 11. Privacy advocates had been watching closely after Newsom vetoed a broader proposal last year that also applied to mobile operating systems.
The version signed into law this week is more narrowly focused, targeting only web browsers.
Newsom also signed two additional privacy bills on the same day. One requires social media companies to allow users to cancel their accounts easily and to delete all associated personal data once an account is closed.
The other expands California’s Data Broker Registration Law by giving people more details about which companies collect their data and who has access to it.
