Last year, California lawmakers passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), a new law to strengthen consumer privacy protections. A few weeks ago, newly-elected Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced AB 1760: Privacy for All, to add critical improvements to current law and ensure privacy is a right we can all exercise in California — and pave the way for other states to do the same — regardless of what we look like or how much money we have in our bank account.

Earlier this month, the ACLU of California contracted with David Binder Research to see if likely voters supported the key provisions of AB 1760. The results are in: Californians overwhelmingly support the privacy protections in Privacy for All.

The bill's premise is simple: It’s time for Californians to take control of their personal information, hold tech companies accountable, and ensure that everyone has the same privacy rights. For years, technology companies have been recklessly harvesting, exploiting and sharing our personal information often without our permission and without telling us how or with whom they’re sharing our information.

The results? Facebook shared millions of users’ personal information with Cambridge Analytica. Massive data breaches show up in the headlines every week. And people’s personal information is put to new and dangerous purposes, including discrimination, surveillance, and harm.

It’s no surprise that Californians are fed up with companies who aren’t doing enough to protect personal information.

Support for stronger privacy laws cuts across every imaginable line. Democrat or Republican, urban or rural, male or female, white, Black, Latino, Asian? It doesn’t make a difference. Young people don’t care about privacy? Tell that to the 96% of people aged 18-38 who support strong new privacy laws. Privacy is a right that everyone understands is necessary in the modern age. Now the question is: will California lawmakers vote to pass Privacy for All, or will they side with the tech industry and its endless pursuit of profits?

Californians Want Knowledge for All

97% support legislation to make sure companies ask and get our permission before they can share our personal information. Current law only requires permission before companies “sell” our information, so companies can still share our information with other entities. But Facebook claims it didn’t “sell” personal information and we all know how that ended – Facebook handed over troves of personal information to Cambridge Analytica. And many other apps share our personal information with Facebook. That’s why Privacy for All covers the sharing as well as the sale of personal information.

95% want the right to know what information companies have collected about them and who they have shared it with. When we make a purchase, browse the Internet, communicate with our friends and family, or add an app to our mobile phone, we deserve to know where our personal information is going and how it’s being used. Under Privacy for All, people can learn what personal information companies have collected and how that information has been used.

Californians Want Rights for All

86% support rules that stop companies from charging higher prices or providing a worse product to people who exercise their privacy rights. No one should be forced to choose between paying their bills and protecting their family’s privacy. Unfortunately, current law allows companies to discriminate against people who exercise their privacy rights. Privacy for All makes sure that California constitutional privacy rights aren’t reserved for the rich.

94% want the right to take a company to court if they violate their privacy rights. Under Privacy for All, consumers can exercise their right to privacy and hold companies legally accountable when they don’t comply with the law.

Californians Want Tech Companies to Do More

89% agree that tech companies must do more to protect personal information. Companies are unlikely to step up and protect Californians’ right to privacy. For most tech companies, it’s profits before privacy. That’s why we need Privacy for All.

Tell California Lawmakers: We Demand Privacy for All

Although current law falls short of the privacy rights Californians want, tech companies are trying to weaken it even further, both in California and Washington D.C. We don’t need weaker privacy laws; we need a strong law that ensures that all Californians can be part of our connected world without sacrificing their individual rights. Please join us in telling legislators that AB 1760, Privacy for All, is what Californians want and deserve.

Take action

Date

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - 9:45am

Featured image

New poll shows 94% of likely CA voters support Privacy for All (AB 1760)

Show featured image

Hide banner image

Tweet Text

[node:title]

Share Image

New poll shows 94% of likely CA voters support Privacy for All (AB 1760)

Related issues

Privacy and Surveillance

Show related content

Pinned related content

Author:
Jacob Snow

Menu parent dynamic listing

68

Show PDF in viewer on page

Style

Standard with sidebar

Attending school is a daunting task for far too many young people in California struggling to find a place to call home. And yet, hundreds of thousands of students show up to class each day in California without knowing where they will sleep that night.

Luckily, these students all have one resource in common: someone whose job is to support them. "Homeless liaisons," as they are sometimes called, are designated at every public PK-12 school district in the country and every public college in California. Liaisons work on the front lines, supporting children and youth experiencing homelessness to ensure they get the help they need and deserve.

Given liaisons' critical role advocating for students experiencing homelessness, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundations of California (ACLU CA), in collaboration with the California Homeless Youth Project (CHYP), surveyed liaisons across California to better understand the needs of students experiencing homelessness and the capacity and resources of the schools that serve them.

In two companion reports, based on a survey of nearly 700 liaisons in California, the ACLU CA and CHYP document the overwhelming task for liaisons across the state and the additional resources needed for students experiencing homelessness at every level.

In "Serving Students Hidden In Plain Sight: How California’s Public Schools Can Better Support Students Experiencing Homelessness," the ACLU CA and CHYP detail key findings based on responses from over 500 K-12 liaisons:

  • Liaisons' information is frequently unavailable for students experiencing homelessness.
  • Liaisons lack the capacity and resources to do their jobs effectively.
  • Liaisons cannot effectively refer students to outside services, such as housing.
  • Schools do not effectively identify students experiencing homelessness.
  • Eight out of ten districts designate homeless liaisons at every school site.

Based on these findings, the report develops recommendations for leaders at every level:

  • The CDE and districts should make liaisons’ information public, accessible, and current.
  • Districts and the state should devote more resources to liaisons.
  • Districts and counties should cultivate partnerships with outside service providers.
  • The CDE and counties should provide more support to liaisons to train school personnel.
  • All school districts should designate school-site liaisons.

Read the Full K-12 Report


In "How to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness: Perspectives from California’s Community Colleges," the ACLU CA and CHYP detail key findings based on responses from as many as two thirds of all community colleges:

  • Students' 5 greatest needs are assistance with housing, CalFresh, FAFSA, mental health services, and other outside services.
  • Housing is the most difficult need for staff to meet.
  • Staff working with students experiencing homelessness are not adequately funded — 64% spend 5 hours or less on their homeless liaison duties each week.

The report develops recommendations for the state and colleges:

  • Colleges should systemically identify students experiencing homelessness.
  • The state should fully fund homeless college liaisons at every campus.
  • The state and colleges should invest in additional housing opportunities such as host homes, safe shelters, and housing vouchers.

Read the Full College Report

Date

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - 7:00am

Featured image

Serving Students Hidden in Plain Sight: How California's Public Schools Can Better Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

Show featured image

Hide banner image

Related issues

Education Equity Houselessness

Documents

Show related content

Pinned related content

Tweet Text

Two reports from ACLU CA & CHYP detailing how to support students experiencing homelessness

Share Image

Serving Students Hidden in Plain Sight: How California's Public Schools Can Better Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

Menu parent dynamic listing

69

Show PDF in viewer on page

Style

Standard with sidebar

Pages

Subscribe to ACLU of Southern California RSS