Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On July 19, 2012, California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced the formation of a new Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit (“Privacy Unit”) within the state’s Department of Justice. The new unit will centralize existing Department of Justice efforts to protect privacy, educate consumers and forge partnerships with relevant industry players. According to the Attorney General’s press release, the broad mission of the Privacy Unit will include enforcing laws on issues such as cyber privacy, health privacy, financial privacy, identity theft, government records and data breaches, to “hold accountable those who misuse technology to invade the privacy of others.” California Department of Justice employees will staff the Privacy Unit, which will include six prosecutors focusing on privacy enforcement issues and the California Office of Privacy Protection’s Joanne McNabb overseeing education and outreach efforts as Director of Privacy Education and Policy.