Sen. Dodd Urges Support for AI Privacy Regulation

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement today on a proposal from the California Privacy Protection Agency that would protect consumers interacting with automated decision-making technology, including providing an opt-out provision to prevent the collection of their personal data.

“This is an important step toward protecting data privacy and the unwanted use of AI,” said Sen. Dodd. “Maintaining human choice is critical as this technology evolves with the prospect for so much good but also the potential for abuse. The state privacy agency board and executive director Ashkan Soltani deserve a lot of credit for getting the ball rolling on this and ensuring California leads the way on innovative consumer protections.”

California Privacy Protection Agency this week announced draft regulations on how the new privacy protections that Californians voted for in 2020 could be implemented. The proposed regulations address automated decision-making consumers would encounter when buying products, applying for jobs and seeking medical care, among other things. It would give them the option of declining to share their data. This would include use of facial-recognition software. The first hearing on the proposal is Dec. 8.

“Automated decision-making technologies and artificial intelligence have the potential to transform key aspects of our lives. We’re proud that California is meeting the moment by giving consumers more control over these technologies,” said Ashkan Soltani, California Privacy Protection Agency’s executive director. “We thank staff and the new rules subcommittee for their incredible work on the draft regulations and look forward to receiving additional input from the Agency Board and the public as we move through the appropriate process.”

Link to CPPA press release: https://cppa.ca.gov/announcements/2023/20231127.html

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More information on Senator Bill Dodd can be found at www.senate.ca.gov/dodd.