Plain English Breakdown
The source text defines when the law begins (January 1, 2027) but leaves the specific effective date field in the metadata blank.
AB-566: Browser Opt-Out Signal Requirements
Starting January 1, 2027, this law requires web browsers to include a setting that lets users send a signal telling companies not to sell or share their personal information.
What This Bill Does
- Prohibits businesses from developing or maintaining web browsers without a consumer-configurable feature to send an opt-out preference signal starting January 1, 2027.
- Requires browser makers to explain in public documents how the opt-out preference signal works and its intended effect.
- Grants immunity from liability to browser makers if other businesses ignore the opt-out signals sent by their browsers.
- Authorizes the California Privacy Protection Agency to create regulations needed to carry out these requirements.
Who It Names or Affects
- Businesses that develop or maintain web browsers
- Consumers who use those web browsers
- The California Privacy Protection Agency
Terms To Know
- Opt-out preference signal
- A digital message sent from a browser to tell a company not to sell or share the user's personal information.
- Browser
- Software used on computers and phones to view websites, as defined by law.
Limits and Unknowns
- The exact technical details of how the signal must work are not specified in this text but will be determined through future regulations.
- While the bill states it begins January 1, 2027, the official effective date field in the metadata was left blank.