Letter in support of SB 690

Dear Members of the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) strongly supports SB 690, which would curtail abusive litigation brought under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”), and requests that prohibitions in the bill on pending litigation be restored. We want to reiterate the importance of passing this legislation. It is urgent that California addresses this issue as the laws original scope has been contorted to enable frivolous litigation.

Recently, the industry has experienced an onslaught of trivial demand letters and litigation asserting that CIPA applies to internet-based activity. The Assembly originally enacted CIPA to prevent unlawful wiretapping of traditional telephony. Although the Chamber continues to assert that the provisions of CIPA do not and were never intended to apply to the internet[1], the bill would provide additional certainty that CIPA does not apply to “a commercial business purpose,” which would enable the legitimate use of data necessary for the modern digital economy to operate.

The Chamber requests language that makes SB 690 retroactive and applicable to any case pending on January 1, 2026, or as of SB 690’s effective date. For decades, business relied on the intended purpose of CIPA to prevent traditional telephonic wiretapping, and the State should prevent a rush of additional unreasonable litigation in advance of the passage of SB 690.

We urge you to expeditiously amend and pass SB 690.

Sincerely,

Jordan Crenshaw
Senior Vice President
Chamber Technology Engagement Center
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

[1]​ See Amicus of U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Guiterez v. Converse (C.D. Cal January 22, 2025) available at​ https://www.uschamber.com/assets/documents/U.S.-Chamber-Coalition-Amicus-Brief-Gutierrez-v.-Converse-Inc.-Ninth-Circuit.pdf.

About the author

Jordan Crenshaw

Crenshaw is Senior Vice President of the Chamber Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC).

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