California’s small businesses, nonprofits, healthcare providers and community organizations have a champion in state Sen. Anna Caballero.

For years, organizations across California have been caught in a growing wave of litigation under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA — a 1967 law written long before websites and modern digital communications existed. Sen. Caballero, D-Merced, recognized that California’s privacy laws needed to catch up with the way Californians live and do business today, and she stepped forward to do something about it.

Her leadership on Senate Bill 690 deserves recognition.

SB 690 represents an important step toward addressing the misuse of an outdated law and bringing greater clarity to businesses and organizations that rely on common online technologies. Sen.  Caballero has made clear that protecting Californians’ privacy and protecting legitimate organizations from abusive litigation do not have to be competing goals. Her bill seeks to bring those interests into better balance while preserving meaningful privacy protections.

That matters because CIPA litigation is not limited to any one type of organization.

It affects small business owners trying to keep their doors open, nonprofit organizations stretching every dollar to serve their communities, healthcare providers already facing significant financial pressures, and community organizations, food banks, and other groups using basic technology to connect people with the services they need.

For these organizations, a CIPA lawsuit can be more than a legal nuisance. It can mean tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected costs, time diverted from their mission and, for some, a serious threat to their ability to continue operating.

A Billion-Dollar Threat to Businesses and Nonprofits

The scale of the problem is impossible to ignore. More than 3,500 CIPA lawsuits have been filed in California since 2022, with the litigation estimated to have cost California businesses and organizations more than $1 billion. This is no longer an isolated legal issue — it is a growing threat to organizations across California.

Sen. Caballero has listened to these concerns. She has met with stakeholders, engaged with advocates on all sides of the issue and continued moving SB 690 forward despite the complexity of modernizing a decades-old privacy statute. The bill has received widespread bipartisan support thus far, demonstrating the broad recognition that this issue deserves legislative attention.

That is why we are grateful for her leadership and why we believe the Legislature should continue building on the progress she has made.

The current version of SB 690 addresses an important piece of the CIPA litigation problem, but more work remains to ensure that businesses, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and other organizations are protected from continued litigation over the same types of routine online technologies.

Let’s Finish the Job

Sen. Caballero, who is termed out, has started the conversation. Now, the Legislature has an opportunity to finish the job.

We urge lawmakers to continue working toward comprehensive CIPA reform — reform that protects consumers, provides clear rules for legitimate organizations, and prevents an outdated statute from being weaponized against those simply trying to serve their customers and communities.

California needs privacy laws that reflect California in 2026, not California in 1967.

Sen. Caballero recognized that need and had the courage to act. For that, California’s small businesses, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and community organizations owe her a sincere thank you.

About the Author

Clint Olivier is the President and CEO of the Central Valley Business Federation, where he leads public policy advocacy for a massive regional alliance of over 75 business and trade associations representing 30,000 employers and 400,000 workers.

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