Businesses Beware: CPPA Launches Online Complaint Form

California just made it easier to file California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and other California privacy-related complaints. During its meeting on July 14, 2023, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) announced the launch of the CPPA Complaint Form (“Webform”). The Webform allows California residents to easily submit complaints regarding alleged violations of their rights under the CCPA (e.g., the right to opt-out of sale/sharing; right to delete; right to correct) as well as noncompliant business practices (e.g., offering financial incentive(s) without proper notice, attempting to gain consent unlawfully using dark patterns). The Webform requires complainants to fill out six fields regarding the nature of their complaint, with several other optional fields to help support and shed some light on the complaint. During the Webform’s soft launch earlier this month, the CPPA received 13 complaints via the Webform—a majority of which (7 complaints) concerned the right to limit the use of sensitive personal information. The debut of the Webform was accompanied by the update of CPPA complaint FAQs. In addition to aiding in investigations, the CPPA will use the Webform to track compliance trends.

Companies should expect to see an uptick in CCPA enforcement in the coming months—particularly with the implementation of the Webform, which signals the CPPA’s eagerness to investigate potential noncompliance with California privacy law.

Author Information

Maddie Level – Associate Attorney