California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018: opt-out preference signal.

Assembly Member Lowenthal's California Opt Me Out Act mandates web browsers to include built-in privacy controls, requiring businesses that develop or maintain browsers to incorporate settings that allow consumers to opt out of personal information sharing. The legislation adds new requirements to the California Consumer Privacy Act framework by specifically targeting browser technology.

The bill establishes specific technical obligations for browser developers, requiring them to implement opt-out preference signals that must be easily locatable and configurable by users. Businesses must clearly disclose how these opt-out mechanisms function and detail which categories of personal information are affected when consumers activate these privacy controls. The requirements apply to both traditional web browsers and the underlying browser engines that render web content, including widely-used systems like Blink, Gecko, and WebKit.

The California Privacy Protection Agency maintains authority to develop and enforce regulations implementing these new requirements. The legislation builds upon existing state privacy laws, with the Legislature explicitly noting its connection to the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020. While the bill creates new technical compliance obligations for browser developers, it requires no additional state appropriations for implementation.