California to increase data broker registration fees, start audit rulemaking
California is moving to raise the fees data brokers must pay to register with the state and is beginning the rulemaking process to establish audit requirements for those companies. The changes would expand the regulatory pressure on an industry that profits from collecting and selling personal information.
Why this matters: Data brokers sell your personal information to anyone willing to pay, and most people have no idea it is happening. California has required these companies to register for a few years, but registration without enforcement is just a list. Starting an audit process is the part that could actually matter. It means the state may start checking whether brokers are following the rules, not just whether they filed the paperwork. Higher fees will not bother the big players much, but real audits could. Watch what the audit rules actually require when they come out.
Who should care: Lawyers · Compliance · General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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