‘I’m Not in Tech’s Pocket’: Privacy Champ Becomes the Regulator

Alastair Mactaggart is a major thorn in Big Tech’s side.

The wealthy Bay Area real estate developer spent upwards of $9 million on California ballot initiatives that led to the nation’s strongest privacy law. Now he’s a board member of the agency that’s responsible for enforcing the law, all in his quest to protect consumers’ privacy rights.

The California Privacy Protection Agency is the only privacy agency in the US, and it’s essentially setting standards that businesses must follow in the rest of the country. California is home to Silicon Valley and has more than 39 million people, ...