To close out Data Privacy Week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a new investigative sweep probing streaming apps’ and devices’ compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
The announcement highlights three key areas of focus for the AG in this investigation:
- Consumers should be able to go into device settings on a SmartTV to find and enable the “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” setting.
- Opt-out choices should be honored across devices if the consumer is logged into their account when they opt out.
- A streaming service’s privacy policy covering CCPA rights should be easy to find.
The investigative sweep covers both smart devices and more Internet-enabled traditional devices like phones and computers.
But companies offering streaming services through smart devices face unique challenges when it comes to CCPA compliance. Smart device interfaces do not always offer the same straightforward opportunities as traditional devices for enabling users to opt out, identifying users, and giving quick access to readable privacy policies. The AG has clarified that his office will make sure streaming services follow California privacy laws even when the interface makes it difficult.
Putting it into practice: Companies operating streaming services should use this opportunity to revisit their opt-out practices across devices. This announcement is a reminder that California expects that navigating to the opt-out option and carrying it across devices be easy for users. Further, it expects that privacy policies be both findable and understandable.
