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Washington, D.C.—The Spanish-language version of the free guide created by Consumer Action and Consumer Federation of America (CFA) for Californians about the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is now available. As part of the California Privacy Initiative that Consumer Action and CFA launched earlier this year with support from the Rose Foundation, the guide is designed to educate Californians about and encourage them to exercise key rights under the CCPA: to see the personal data companies have collected about them, to delete their data, and to ask companies not to sell their data.

A survey of Californians commissioned by Consumer Action and CFA last fall showed that Californians who had visited companies’ websites in the previous twelve months had not exercised these rights, and the top reason they gave for not doing so was that they didn’t realize they could. More survey respondents who identified themselves as Hispanic said they did not know about rights than white or Black people. “It’s vital to close the knowledge gap, especially in minority communities, to ensure that all Californians know they have the power to assert their privacy rights,” said Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action. 

Fewer Hispanic and Black Californians than whites said they did not exercise these rights because they didn’t think it was necessary. For instance, 45 percent of white people gave this reason for why they didn’t ask companies not to sell their data, compared to 30 percent of Blacks and 24 percent of Hispanics. “Because of their experiences with discrimination, people in minority communities are likely to have heightened concerns about the impact of being profiled,” said Susan Grant, a senior fellow specializing in privacy at CFA. “As we point out in the consumer guide, today’s commercial surveillance system isn’t just used to determine what products you see ads for – it can affect the prices you’re charged and the opportunities you’re presented with for  credit, housing, jobs, and other economic opportunities, and your data may also be shared without your knowledge with government agencies.”

The guide, in English and Spanish, along with an executive summary and a detailed report about the survey results and other materials, are available on the California Privacy Initiative page.

As part of the California Privacy Initiative, Consumer Action and Consumer Federation of America will hold a webinar on May 10 titled “How consumers can exercise their rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act.” Webinar participants will learn about who and what is covered by the CCPA, key rights it provides to Californians and how they can exercise their rights, what the main changes will be under the CPRA, and resources and tips for helping consumers keep personal data under wraps. If you would like to join the webinar, contact Linda Williams at [email protected].

Through education and advocacy, Consumer Action fights for strong consumer rights and policies that promote fairness and financial prosperity for underrepresented consumers nationwide.

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.