SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Backers of an internet privacy initiative say they will keep their measure off California”s November ballot if lawmakers pass a comparable consumer data protection bill next week.
Supporters of the initiative aimed at giving consumers more control over their data say they”ve collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. But Robin Swanson, the campaign”s political consultant, said the initiative”s chief backer has reached a deal with lawmakers to withdraw it if lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown enact similar legislation ahead of next Thursday”s deadline to pull measures from the ballot.
Details of the agreement were not immediately available, but Swanson and a spokeswoman for Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, confirmed legislation is in the works. Hertzberg spokeswoman Katie Hanzlik says she expects details to be made public Friday.
The initiative would require companies to tell users what types of personal information they collect and whether they”ve sold it. It would also let consumers sue companies for security breaches and allow consumers to forbid companies from selling their information.
Tech giants including Google and AT&T had opposed the initiative. It”s unclear where they will stand on the legislation.
The initiative and planned legislation come amid a national debate over how companies handle users” data. Facebook, which initially gave money to oppose the initiative, has faced intense scrutiny after news broke that a Republican-linked consulting firm had collected data from millions of Facebook users without their knowledge.
