Location privacy.

Assembly Member Ward's location privacy legislation would establish comprehensive restrictions on how businesses and government agencies collect and use Californians' location data. The bill prohibits covered entities from collecting location information unless necessary to provide requested goods or services, while banning the sale or monetization of such data.

Under the proposed California Location Privacy Act, businesses must prominently display notices when capturing location data and maintain detailed privacy policies explaining their data practices. These policies must specify what location information is collected, how precisely it tracks individuals, which service providers handle the data, and how long information is retained. Companies must obtain consumer consent before making material changes to these policies.

The legislation creates a multi-layered enforcement framework, authorizing the California Privacy Protection Agency to issue fines and cease-and-desist orders for violations. Individuals can pursue civil actions for actual damages or statutory penalties of $25,000 per violation, while the Attorney General and local prosecutors may seek equivalent civil penalties. The bill exempts healthcare providers and facilities collecting patient location data protected under federal privacy laws.

State and local agencies face an outright ban on monetizing location information, though the bill provides reimbursement mechanisms if this restriction imposes new costs. The measure builds upon existing privacy protections by amending the California Consumer Privacy Act to explicitly incorporate these location data requirements into businesses' broader privacy compliance obligations.