AB370: California's online disclosure law.
In 2013, California passed a cookie privacy bill, mandating that all websites providing service to California users had to disclose how it used cookies and what data it gathered from consumers. This bill took effect on January 1, 2014.
California's law does not require websites to do more than disclose whether they recognize Do Not Track requests and whether they use third party tracking cookies. AB370 stipulates penalties of up to $2,500 for non-compliant websites. In its current state, it is not likely to have a major impact on internet privacy, but it could become the foundation for a more comprehensive law in the future. It is still notable for being the first enacted American law regulating internet cookies.
The law's biggest weakness is its lack of practical enforcement. AB370 theoretically applies to every website using cookies in the internet, since the website only has to be accessible in California. While California might be able to police websites from companies physically in California, it is almost impossible to enforce the law for websites in the rest of the world. Considering that anyone in the world can create a website on servers locate in any country, AB370's impact on user privacy will be limited at best.
California's law does not require websites to do more than disclose whether they recognize Do Not Track requests and whether they use third party tracking cookies. AB370 stipulates penalties of up to $2,500 for non-compliant websites. In its current state, it is not likely to have a major impact on internet privacy, but it could become the foundation for a more comprehensive law in the future. It is still notable for being the first enacted American law regulating internet cookies.
The law's biggest weakness is its lack of practical enforcement. AB370 theoretically applies to every website using cookies in the internet, since the website only has to be accessible in California. While California might be able to police websites from companies physically in California, it is almost impossible to enforce the law for websites in the rest of the world. Considering that anyone in the world can create a website on servers locate in any country, AB370's impact on user privacy will be limited at best.
References
Temple, James. "How California’s imminent Do Not Track law falls short – and why it matters anyway." SF Gate http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2013/09/22/how-californias-imminent-do-not-track-law-fails-and-why-it-matters-anyway/ (Sept 22, 2013).
"AB370: California's "Do Not Track" Law." Cooley LLP. http://www.cooley.com/ab370-californias-do-not-track-law (accessed March 16, 2014).
"AB370: California's "Do Not Track" Law." Cooley LLP. http://www.cooley.com/ab370-californias-do-not-track-law (accessed March 16, 2014).