Other states may have similar provisions
of ConsumerAffairsIn a week set aside to stress good cybersecurity practices, officials in three states with strong consumer privacy laws are urging consumers to take advantage of these protections.
California, Colorado and Connecticut have strong consumer protection laws that align with Global Privacy Control, an easy-to-use browser setting or extension that automatically signals to businesses that they should not sell their personal information to third parties, including for targeted advertising.
Websites are constantly tracking and collecting our personal information for every purpose you can imagine, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. In Connecticut, you can now opt out of tracking across all sites by selecting a single simple option. Its an easy step to take back control over your data and protect your privacy.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called Global Privacy Control the easiest way to limit the number of third parties that have access to our personal information and online behavioral data. He called on mobile device manufacturers to develop an easy, GPC-like feature that consumers can use to signal the right to opt out.
Other states may also have laws that allow the use of tools to prevent the sale of their browsing data.
There are two ways to opt out by using GPC:
Option 1: Enabling Global Privacy Control
GPC is a signal that allows users to automatically indicate to the websites they visit that they would like to opt out of the sale of their personal information. The GPC signal is an easy way to opt out because a consumer does not have to make individualized requests to opt out on each website they visit. Download GPC via a browser extension. In fact, some browsers offer a GPC setting.
Option 2: Opt Out One Business at a Time
Businesses that sell personal information must provide a clear and conspicuous link on their website that allows them to submit an opt out request. Businesses cannot require you to create an account to submit your request or ask for additional information to process your opt-out.
If you cant find a businesss link, review its privacy policy to see if it sells or shares personal information for purposes of targeted advertising. If the business does, it must also include that link in its privacy policy.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2025-01-30 14:12:35
