Oakland Data Protection Lawyers

California has established extensive privacy laws as businesses collect and use increasing amounts of personal information. These laws give consumers greater control over their data and establish requirements concerning how certain businesses collect, use, retain, sell, and share personal information.

At Matern Law Group, our Oakland data protection lawyers pursue claims involving potentially unlawful corporate data practices and violations of California consumer privacy laws.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

The CCPA, which took effect in January 2020, established important rights for Oakland consumers regarding their personal information and imposed privacy-related obligations on certain businesses.

Under the CCPA and California’s current privacy framework, consumers may have rights that include:

• Right to Know: Oakland consumers may request information about the personal information a covered business has collected about them and how that information is used, disclosed, sold, or shared.
• Right to Delete: Oakland consumers may request deletion of certain personal information collected by covered businesses, subject to applicable exceptions.
• Right to Opt Out: Oakland consumers may direct covered businesses not to sell or share their personal information.
• Non-Discrimination: Businesses generally cannot unlawfully discriminate against Oakland consumers for exercising their California privacy rights.

When companies fail to honor applicable consumer privacy rights, our Oakland data protection lawyers can evaluate whether their practices may violate California law and whether legal action may be appropriate.

California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)

The CPRA, approved by California voters in November 2020, expanded the state’s consumer privacy framework and amended the CCPA. It established additional consumer rights and requirements concerning how covered businesses handle personal and sensitive personal information.

Important protections include:

• Right to Correction: Consumers may request correction of inaccurate personal information maintained by covered businesses.
• Right to Limit: Consumers may have the right to limit certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information.
• Sale and Sharing of Personal Information: California privacy law gives consumers rights concerning the sale and sharing of personal information, including certain sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Our attorneys evaluate potentially unlawful privacy practices involving the collection, use, retention, sale, sharing, disclosure, and processing of consumers’ personal information.

Oakland Employee Data Protection Attorneys

California privacy protections can also apply to personal information businesses collect about employees, job applicants, independent contractors, and other workers.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, employee privacy rights may include:

• Notice at Collection: Covered businesses may be required to provide notice regarding categories of personal information collected and the purposes for which the information will be used.
• Access and Correction: Workers may have rights concerning access to and correction of certain personal information.
• Deletion: Workers may have rights to request deletion of certain personal information, subject to applicable exceptions.
• Sale and Sharing: Workers may have rights concerning certain sales or sharing of their personal information.

When employers or other businesses use employee information in ways that may violate California privacy law, our attorneys can evaluate the practices involved and determine whether affected workers may have potential legal claims.

Enforcement and Compliance

The CPRA established the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which is responsible for administering and enforcing California’s consumer privacy framework alongside other enforcement authorities.

Covered businesses may have obligations concerning consumer notices, privacy requests, data collection, retention, disclosure, sale, sharing, and the handling of sensitive personal information. Failure to comply with applicable requirements can result in regulatory scrutiny and, depending on the circumstances and legal basis involved, potential litigation.

Our Oakland data protection attorneys evaluate widespread business practices to determine whether companies are complying with applicable California privacy and consumer protection laws.

How Our Data Privacy Lawyers Can Help

Our attorneys investigate potentially unlawful data practices and evaluate how companies collect, track, use, retain, disclose, sell, share, or otherwise process personal information.

We focus on significant privacy matters involving company-wide policies, technologies, and practices that may affect groups of California consumers. If you believe a company’s widespread data practices have violated your privacy rights, our Oakland data privacy lawyers can evaluate your situation and help you understand your potential legal options.