Californians could see sweeping changes in how companies collect and use their personal data under Assembly Bill (AB) 566, a newly passed measure aimed at strengthening user privacy protections.
The bill’s core provisions require companies to clearly disclose the types of data they collect, how long they retain it, with whom they share it, and how consumers can opt out of the sale of their data. This was designed to place greater power in the hands of the user rather than the corporations that profit from their personal information.
The bill requires web browsers used by Californians to include a built-in “opt out” preference that tells websites not to sell or share users’ personal information. The law, which was signed in October 2025 and takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027, directs browser makers to provide an easy-to-find setting and explain how the signal works. It also directs the California Privacy Protection Agency to write technical rules for implementation. Under the measure, responsibility for honoring the browser signal falls to businesses that received it. AB 566 aims to spare users the need to visit dozens of sites to opt out individually and to make privacy controls more automatic and transparent.
“There’s a signal being sent back to a person about every single website that I go to and every video that I watch and every email that I send, and they have all that information,” said John Rowe, an Introduction to Business teacher at Carlmont.
AB 566 was viewed favorably by privacy advocates, who argue that current consent systems are deceptive and overly complex for everyday users. But other caution that this legislation may impact critical aspects of digital services that rely on data analytics, raising questions about future impacts on innovation and user experience.
Many in the business community are considering the implications of the bill for their operations. “This could potentially hurt the economy because not only is it going to hurt companies like Meta, but their advertising is going to be less effective. If you’re a small business and you are utilizing Meta and Google to get new customers, now that doesn’t work as effectively or is more expensive, and that could have a really big effect,” Rowe said.
Students, particularly those in tech pathways, are watching closely. One student, skilled in coding and knowledgeable about data handling, reflects on how AB 566 fits into larger discussions around ethical tech development.
“If I wanted to go on a site and they didn’t tell me that they were using my data, some people just don’t really like that because they didn’t really give consent for their data to be used. So, with more regulation, it makes tech more ethical in a sense,” said Dennis Yang, a sophomore at Carlmont.
For others, the issue feels much more personal. With billions of people on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, social media users see both sides of the story.
“To a certain extent, having personalized data can be both positive and negative. In the positive extent, you’re definitely more engaged with the videos you’re watching, but to a negative extent, these websites could definitely be taking information that you don’t want them to be taking away,” said Aaron Zhang, a sophomore at Carlmont.
The push for transparency comes amid broader debate over digital rights, including the limits of targeted advertising, the roles of cookies and data management, and the responsibility of platforms to inform and protect their users. While AB 566 stops short of banning tracking, it challenges the norms that have driven the data economy since its inception.
Experts warn that legislation alone may not be enough, and true progress will require an informed public, willing to scrutinize the subtle trade-offs between convenience and privacy.
California leads the way; other states may follow with similar measures designed to shift the balance of power back to users. For now, the future remains uncertain as the next click could determine how much control one has over their digital life.
“It’s mainly a trade-off between being ethical and being accurate, and sometimes you don’t really need cookies. But there are cases where cookies play a key part in the database,” Yang said.
