Do Not Track California Privacy Law Changes Effective Today

Basically, commercial online services (which includes mobile apps) need to add a sentence/paragraph about how they are handling the Do Not Track header requests. This is a California OPPA amendment starting today.

We/iubenda is giving away a special discount to those affected in California, which most of you may be.

The underlying logic is the following "An operator of a commercial Web site or online service that collects personally identifiable information through the Internet about individual consumers residing in California who use or visit its commercial Web site or online service shall conspicuously post its privacy policy on its Web site". Basically what states/legislations are doing is protecting their citizens, therefore reversing that logic. So in theory I'd say yes.

I'm not too familiar with the extent of California's "long arm" with respect to websites, but CA tends to take the position that most any contact with the state gives CA jurisdiction (I'm probably a bit broad here). So, a website that collects info from CA residents could be seen as conducting business in the state and would be subject to this law. Physical presence is usually not a requirement.

I've suggested in the post that something along the lines "we do not react to Do Not Track signals" may be a start. It's hard to tell what will be a standard down the road. If you do honor those signals though, a more thorough description will be in order.

Also note that (6) sets out slightly stricter standards regarding disclosure:

(6) Disclose whether other parties may collect personally identifiable information about an individual consumer’s online activities over time and across different Web sites when a consumer uses the operator’s Web site or service.

I tend to agree.

Some marketters just have really weird ideas about what they should be allowed to do. Or even what i should be allowed to stop them doing.

Spam is obviously evil to most people, until they decide to spam for their particular product.

SEO has had some strongly negative effects on the www. I'm sort of thinking of starting a movement like "contrast revolution" or "viewable in any browser". My banners would be "zero SEO performed here".