California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that aimed to require web browsers and mobile operating systems to allow consumers to send opt-out preference signals restricting businesses’ use of personal data.
The bill approved by the State Legislature called for an opt-out signal to communicate the consumer’s choice to prevent the sale and sharing of personal information. It would have mandated that web browsers and mobile OSes include a setting to send opt-out signals to businesses.
In his veto message, Newsom expressed concerns over the mandate on operating systems, noting that no major mobile OS currently incorporates such an option. He emphasized that most internet browsers either have an opt-out option or allow users to download a plugin for this functionality. “To ensure the ongoing usability of mobile devices, it’s best if design questions are first addressed by developers, rather than by regulators. For this reason, I cannot sign this bill,” Newsom stated.
While vetoes can be overridden with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, the State Legislature hasn’t overridden a veto in decades.
Privacy advocates have criticized the veto. Consumer Watchdog’s tech and privacy advocate, Justin Kloczko, pointed out that leading browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge, which cover nearly 90 percent of the market share, do not offer a global opt-out. “It’s troubling the power that companies such as Google appear to have over the governor’s office,” Kloczko said.
Matt Schwartz, a policy analyst at Consumer Reports, added that industry opposition played a significant role in the bill’s defeat. “Industry worked overtime to squash this bill as it empowered Californians to better protect their privacy, undermining the commercial surveillance business model of these tech companies.” Consumer Reports supports Global Privacy Control (GPC), an opt-out signal it hopes will gain legal recognition under laws like CCPA.
GPC is available on browsers such as Firefox, Brave, and DuckDuckGo but not on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari. The older Do Not Track signal remains an option in Chrome and Edge, with various other tracking prevention features provided by all three browsers.