Tighter Privacy Rules for Data Brokers Pursued in California

California lawmakers and privacy advocates are seeking more limitations on companies known as data brokers that amass and sell personal information collected from the internet, public records, and other sources.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a bill (S.B. 362) authored by state Sen. Josh Becker (D) that would grant consumers more control over deleting their collected data. The bill has stirred debate between activists, who contend that more safeguards need to be placed on the state’s 486 registered data brokers, and industry groups, who argue the legislation is unnecessary.

The Golden State already leads the ...