What is CCPA?

- [Instructor] You might be wondering, why is there so much hype around this law called CCPA? And should you even care? Let's talk about what it is to determine if you should. Marlon Brando once said, "Privacy is not something that I'm merely entitled to, it's an absolute prerequisite." As the world becomes more and more connected, the demand by consumers to protect their information grows. CCPA stands for the California Consumer Privacy Act. It's a statewide data privacy regulation that outlines how businesses all around the world should handle the personal information of California residents. But let's break that down a bit. There are a few definitions you'll need to be familiar with as we go through the Act. First, there's data. Data are facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis. Next, there's personal information. This means information that can identify, relate to, describe, or be associated with a particular consumer or household. Important to the CCPA is the term resident. In general terms, a resident is a person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis. And in case you're unfamiliar with the U.S. justice system, the attorney general is the principal legal officer who represents, in this case, a state, in legal proceedings and gives legal advice to the government. Basically, they're the attorney for the state. An example of data versus personal information would probably help here too. I can collect data on people that isn't personal. If I collect information on how many cookies are bought in a store, that's data, but it's not personal. However, if I collect information on how many cookies you buy and how often you're in a specific store then I may be starting to collect personal information. Understanding these definitions and examples help us apply the Act appropriately. The CCPA regulation takes the position that consumers are the owners of their privacy information and can make decisions about it. The legislation gives consumers more control over the information that businesses collect about them. And if consumers have privacy rights, that means that businesses will have parameters on how they can handle and manage that information. The CCPA defines certain terms differently than other legislation that businesses will need to understand. This is all so important because consumers are becoming more savvy about their rights, and they're acting on them. Additionally, there are more regulations requiring businesses to respond. You'll want to be ready to react appropriately. With privacy requirements on the rise, CCPA is legislation that defines consumer rights and how businesses must comply with upholding those rights.