Letter to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on SB 690

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. Although this bill is now considered a two-year bill but want to reiterate the importance of passing this legislation. It is urgent that California address this issue as the laws original scope has been contorted to enable frivolous litigation.

Recently, industry has experienced an onslaught of frivolous 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 The Assembly originally enacted CIPA to prevent unlawful wiretapping of traditional telephony.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], SB 690 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, therefore, urge you to expeditiously amend and pass SB 690.

Sincerely,

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

[1]See Amicus of U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Guiterez v. Converse (C.D. Cal January 22, 2025) available athttps://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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