Reflecting on Digital Rights Wins and Losses in Sacramento
California's 2026 legislative session has closed, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation has reviewed nearly 100 bills it tracked across two years covering surveillance, AI, privacy, and social media. The session produced a mixed record, with some digital rights gains alongside setbacks.
Why this matters: California sets the floor for digital rights in the U.S. more often than any other state. What passes or fails in Sacramento shapes what companies build, what police can do, and what workers can expect. A session that ends with 'some victories' and alarming developments is not a draw. It means real people will live under rules they had little say in. It is worth watching which interests won the close fights — and whether the losses on surveillance and AI accountability can be reversed next session.
Who should care: Lawyers · Compliance · Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · AI governance · Policy
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