Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On October 14, 2016, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the release of a publicly available online form that will enable consumers to report potential violations of the California Online Privacy Protection Act (“CalOPPA”). CalOPPA requires website and mobile app operators to post a privacy policy that contains certain specific content.

The form asks consumers to state the name of the company being reported and indicate whether the privacy policy (1) is missing or inapplicable, (2) is difficult to locate, (3) is incomplete, (4) has been violated, or (5) has failed to provide notice of a material change. The form enables consumers to provide additional explanation for the alleged violation of CalOPPA as well as any supporting documentation, such as screenshots of the company’s website or app, or correspondence with the company. The form also requests the consumer’s contact information but notes that providing such information is entirely optional.

In addition to the online form, the California Attorney General’s Office announced that it will partner with the Usable Privacy Policy Project at Carnegie Mellon University to develop a tool that will examine differences in a mobile app’s privacy policy and its actual data collection and sharing practices.

In the press release announcing the online form, Attorney General Harris stated, “In the information age, companies doing business in California must take every step possible to be transparent with consumers and protect their privacy.” She further noted that it is critical to “implement robust safeguards on what information is shared online and how.”