California Eliminates CIPA Private Right of Action via SB 690
Signed by Gov. Newsom on Sept. 30, 2026, SB 690 strips the private right of action from the California Invasion of Privacy Act, reshaping exposure for publishers, retailers and other CIPA defendants.
Senate Bill 690, signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026, amends the California Invasion of Privacy Act to eliminate the private right of action for CIPA violations. CIPA has long served as the vehicle for wiretap claims against publishers, retailers and app operators, with a provision allowing recovery per violation without proof of actual harm, generating substantial class action and mass arbitration volume.
CIPA claims typically carry low individual value and depend on volume, so removing the private claim eliminates a recurring settlement and defense cost line rather than one large exposure. That affects reserves, case budgets, class action monitoring, and the settlement calculus for pending and threatened claims affecting consumer-facing businesses with California operations.
Two caveats. Any residual negligence or contract theories, and the treatment of the statutory damages provision, are not addressed in the available material, so the full scope of what survives is unverified. Public enforcement exposure is a separate question the excerpt does not resolve.
Action for counsel: confirm the effective date and any retroactivity or pending-claims provision in the enrolled text, then reassess CIPA-specific reserves, removal strategies and monitoring. Watch for parallel legislation elsewhere.