Wow, as we write this there is only 9 days to Election Day, and already over 30% of Californians have voted! The week of 10/19 was a huge week for the Yes on Prop 24 campaign, as we showed continued momentum in support of Prop 24, incuding a major endorsement from Consumer Reports. Let’s go through the highlights!

Consumer Reports Urges Californians to Vote Yes on Proposition 24

That headline above (and shown below) comes straight from the Consumer Reports’ press release itself announcing this important consumer protection organization’s endorsement and support of Prop 24.

In the press release, the following key points were made:

Consumer Reports has played a leading role in ensuring that the CCPA works for consumers. CR has documented companies’ efforts to avoid complying with the CCPA since it went into effect in January 2020, and pointed out the difficulties that consumers have faced in exercising their new privacy rights. CR also fought on behalf of consumers for numerous pieces of legislation to strengthen the CCPA, and defended the CCPA from being weakened by a flurry of industry-supported bills in the 2019 legislative session. While the ballot measure is not perfect, it would address significant loopholes that companies have exploited to deny consumers’ opt-out requests—loopholes that the legislature, despite the efforts of key champions in Sacramento, has not been able to address.

“Some of the biggest tech companies have refused to honor Californians’ requests to stop the disclosure of their information for behavioral advertising, and they’re lobbying for exemptions for these practices in other states,” said Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “California consumers should use their power as citizens to vote for Proposition 24 to show that they will stand up for themselves if companies and legislators won’t.” 

Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, said, “Despite the passage of the CCPA, few companies have meaningfully curbed their data-sharing practices, even when a consumer asks them to stop. Proposition 24 would close up some of the worst loopholes in the CCPA, to help make the new law more workable for consumers.”

The press release was also followed by a blog post by Maureen Mahoney that further articulated the reasons for Consumer Reports endorsement of Prop 24.

The blog post makes a number of key points as detailed in this Tweet thread:

Additional Important Endorsements

This week we saw additional endorsements and support of Prop 24 by significant privacy leaders, unions and business leaders.

Privacy Expert and Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower Brittany Kaiser Endorses Prop 24

Renowned consumer privacy expert Brittany Kaiser, Co-Founder of Own Your Data Foundation, data privacy advocate and Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, announced she is a Yes on Prop 24. Kaiser, featured in the Netflix documentary “The Great Hack,” was a whistleblower against mega-data-broker Cambridge Analytica, and helped bring to light the company’s manipulation and misuse of Facebook data that impacted both the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the U.K. Brexit referendum. She also testified before the U.K. Parliament and was a witness for the Mueller Investigation.

“I support Prop 24, which would be the strongest, most effective privacy legislation ever passed in this country,” said Kaiser. “I urge Californians to vote yes on Prop 24, and for other states to follow this lead in their pursuits of consumer protection.”

“The future of privacy relies on giving consumers the right to control and take ownership of their own data,” Kaiser added.

Prominent Black Community Organizations Support Prop 24

This week the Yes on Prop 24 campaign received endorsements from prominent black community organizations, including the California Black Chamber of Commerce and the New Frontier Democratic Club. The California Black Chamber of Commerce is the largest African American non-profit business organization representing hundreds of small and emerging businesses, affiliates and chambers of commerce throughout the state. The New Frontier Democratic Club is the oldest and largest African American Democratic club in the State of California. They join Alice Huffman, President of the California NAACP; Lynette McElhaney, Oakland City Councilmember; Daraka Larimore-Hall, Vice-Chair of the California Democratic Party; Sean Dugar DNC Member and social activist; Los Angeles Sentinel; Watt Times; Sacramento Observer; San Deigo Voice and Viewpoint; and Sun Reporter in endorsing Prop 24. Here is what Jay King of the California Black Chamber of Commerce has to say about Prop 24:

Endorsements from Nurses, Firefighters and Education Leaders

The Yes on 24 campaign also receivedimportant endorsements from the United Nurses Associations of California (UNAC), California Professional Firefighters, immediate past President of the California Teachers Association (CTA), Eric Heins, past President of CTA, Dean Vogel, and immediate past President of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), Joshua Pechthalt.

Here is what Eric Heins, immediate past President of CTA. had to say about Prop 24:

Endorsements from Community and School Leaders, Advocates to Protect Kids Online

Prop 24 was also endorsed by a number of prominent community and school leaders this past week. Here is what Valerie Amezcua, Vice President of Santa Ana Unified School District, has to say on Prop 24:

Opinion Piece in La Opinion

Lydia F. de la Torre, privacy advocate, of Counsel at Squire Patton Boggs and adjunct professor at Santa Clara Law School, published an opinion piece in the La Opinion arguing Prop 24 would allow Californians to regain control over their personal information. Lydia is a leading national expert on California privacy law.

Additional Newspaper Endorsements

Finally, Prop 24 saw a significant number of newspaper endorsements, including including the Los Angeles Sentinel, Watts Times, Sacramento Observer, San Diego Voice and Viewpoint, and Sun Reporter.

Even smaller regional newspapers endorsed Prop 24 such as the Almanac News serving the mid-peninsula area of the Bay Area.

The support of Prop 24 by these news outlets follows the very significant endorsements by the LA Times, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee and Modesto Bee.

Expect more good news this week! And remember to vote, and when you do, Vote Yes on Privacy and Vote Yes on Prop 24!