Client Alert

CLIENT ALERT

CALIFORNIA PRIVACY LAW IMPACTS WEBSITES

California recently passed a law regarding the handling of personally identifiable information collected from California consumers by commercial website owners or online service providers. Personally identifiable information is defined as any information which would identify an individual, such as first and last name, address, phone number, social security number, and email address.

If such personally identifiable information is collected from California consumers, then certain requirements must be met, including:

1. a privacy policy must be conspicuously posted on the homepage or linked to the homepage;
2. the privacy policy must identify:
   1. information collected;
   2. types of third parties with access to the information;
   3. process to review and request correction of information;
   4. process to notify consumers of privacy policy changes; and
   5. effective date of the privacy policy.

This new law, the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003, will go into effect July 1, 2004. If a website is not in compliance, the owner/provider should be given notice and then should have thirty days within which to comply.

© 2004 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW CENTER, LLC™

For assistance in complying with the new California law, contact Mary Lu Sanders-Zinser, 314.369.8133 mlsz@iplawcenter.net.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW CENTER, LLC

314.369.8133  or  636.578.6252    
mlsz@iplawcenter.net 
www.iplawcenter.net