FAC and Freedom of the Press Foundation oppose AB 302, a bill that would provide special protections for “current or former representative elected in the state, as determined by the Secretary of State, an appointed officer of a court or a magistrate in the state, or a spouse, a child, or a dependent who resides in the same household as those individuals.” In this bill, these individuals could demand that businesses refrain from selling their personal information or delete their personal information, and requires businesses to comply with 72 hours of receiving a demand. The bill opens the door for these individuals to sue if the business does not comply.
FAC and FPF write: “We acknowledge and appreciate that AB 302 appears to be drafted to attempt to avoid applying to news outlets. However, the bill does not sufficiently avoid application to the press and will chill constitutionally protected speech.”