California’s Website Data Tracking Opt-Out Plan Pleases No One

Both consumer advocates and business groups are dissatisfied with how California privacy regulators say company websites must recognize universal opt-out tools.

Businesses claim the California Privacy Protection Agency shouldn’t mandate opt-out recognition from external sources in the first place. Advocates fear the requirement as drafted is loose enough to encourage “dark patterns” that would nudge users toward opting in to data tracking.

Ever since California unveiled its draft changes to the state’s privacy rules in May, website tracking opt-outs have been one of the biggest points of contention. Robust recognition of opt-out requests has the potential to incur significant ...