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SACRAMENTO, CA – The Stop CIPA Shakedown Lawsuits coalition today expressed its support for SB 690 following its passage through the California State Legislature and advancement to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Authored by Senator Anna Caballero, SB 690 represents a first step toward addressing the growing wave of abusive lawsuits brought under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).
The coalition is encouraged to see lawmakers take action to address CIPA’s pen register and trap and trace provision, providing needed relief to small businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies that have been targeted by lawsuits over common website tools, often without any allegation of actual harm or injury.
Andrew Kingman, Alliance for Legal Fairness General Counsel, issued the following statement:
“We are pleased to see California lawmakers recognize the urgent need for CIPA reform and advance SB 690 to the Governor’s desk. This is a step forward for the small businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies that have been forced to spend valuable resources defending themselves against abusive lawsuits. We thank Senator Caballero for her leadership and we thank Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan for her sincere engagement in moving this issue through the Legislature. We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 690 into law and deliver this needed relief to businesses and organizations across California.”
Originally enacted in 1967, CIPA was intended to protect Californians from unlawful wiretapping and eavesdropping. But the decades-old law, written long before the internet existed, has increasingly been exploited to bring abusive lawsuits over common website tools like appointment scheduling, payment processing, and website chat, often without any allegation of actual harm or injury.
More than 4,000 CIPA lawsuits have been filed in just the last four years, in addition to tens of thousands of demand letters shaking down businesses and organizations across California. Plumbers, solar installers, restaurants, rural healthcare providers, local news outlets, food banks, public schools, and others (including self storage operators) have been targeted because it is cheaper to settle these claims than to fight them in court – even when no actual harm has been alleged.
Notably, SB 690 does not address Section 631, CIPA’s wiretapping provision. Throughout the legislative process, the coalition advocated for a comprehensive solution addressing both provisions being used to bring lawsuits and demand letters against businesses and organizations over common website tools. Without changes to Section 631, the coalition is concerned that many California small businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies will remain vulnerable to these claims.
For more information about SB 690, visit StopCIPAshakedowns.com.
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