Jeremy Beutler and Taylor Osher were featured on IPWatchdog for their article “Lessons for Brand Owners from the First CCPA Financial Penalty,” which examines the first case to result in financial penalties under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The article addresses allegations that leading cosmetics retailer Sephora engaged in “sales” of consumers’ personal information through the use of website analytics and advertising trackers without providing consumers with adequate notice and the ability to opt out.
Because the case is unprecedented, Jeremy and Taylor outline the ways in which businesses and brand owners can learn from the enforcement action and what is at stake for companies that fail to comply. The California Attorney General alleged that a violation of the law “occurred each time a California resident visited Sephora’s website and was not presented with the option to opt out of a sale.” This, they advise, means that “a website that has a relatively low number of visitors from California could see significant penalties” for failing to comply with the CCPA.
