California Legislature Passes CIPA Pen Register Reform Bill and Sends It to Governor
The California Legislature passed SB 690, which would remove the private right of action for pen register claims tied to website activity under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The bill now goes to the governor for signature.
Why this matters: CIPA pen register lawsuits became a cottage industry. Plaintiffs' lawyers sent mass demand letters to websites, arguing that tracking pixels and analytics tools qualified as illegal wiretapping. Companies settled quickly because the exposure was enormous. SB 690 shuts that door. If you care about privacy, that is a mixed outcome. The lawsuits were messy and opportunistic, but they also pushed companies to think twice about third-party trackers. Removing the private right of action means ordinary people lose a legal tool, even if that tool was mostly being used by litigation firms, not individuals.
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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