California ends private lawsuits over internet tracking under CIPA

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 690, removing the private right to sue companies over pen register and trap-and-trace tracking under California's 1967 wiretapping law. Penalties of up to $5,000 per violation plus triple damages are gone; business groups backed the reform while EFF and ACLU opposed it.

• Newsom signed SB 690, ending private suits over pen register and trap-and-trace use
• Penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and triple damages no longer apply
• Lawsuits under the provision grew from about 600 in 2025 to over 4,000
• EFF, ACLU and California labor unions opposed the law