What It Is

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), is a state regulation establishing consumer privacy rights for California residents. It targets for-profit businesses meeting thresholds like $25M revenue or handling data of 100K+ consumers. Primary purpose: empower consumers with control over personal information (PI) via rights-based approach, including broad PI definitions covering inferences and sensitive data.

Key Components

• Core rights: know/access, delete, opt-out of sales/sharing, correct, limit sensitive PI use
• Obligations: notices at collection, privacy policies, vendor contracts, DSAR handling within 45 days
• Enforcement pillars: CPPA and Attorney General oversight, GPC honoring, non-discrimination
• No certification; compliance via audits, documentation proving "reasonable" practices

Why Organizations Use It

Mandatory for qualifying businesses to avoid $2,500-$7,500 per-violation fines and breach litigation ($100-$750 per consumer). Reduces breach risks, builds trust, enables data governance efficiencies, aligns with GDPR-like regimes for market access and competitive differentiation.

Implementation Overview

Phased: scoping/gap analysis (0-3 months), policies/contracts (1-4 months), technical controls (2-6 months), operationalization/training, ongoing audits. Applies to tech/retail/finance handling CA data; cross-functional teams, automation tools essential for enterprises.

What It Is

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is a US federal regulation establishing national standards for protecting individuals' health information. It focuses on covered entities (health plans, providers, clearinghouses) and business associates, using a risk-based approach via Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules.

Key Components

• **Privacy RuleControls PHI uses/disclosures, minimum necessary principle.
• **Security RuleAdministrative, physical, technical safeguards for ePHI.
• **Breach Notification RuleTimely reporting of unsecured PHI breaches. Built on flexible, scalable standards; no fixed control count; enforced via OCR audits, no certification but compliance required.

Why Organizations Use It

• Legal mandate for covered entities handling PHI.
• Mitigates breach risks, penalties up to $2M+ annually.
• Enhances patient trust, operational resilience, vendor management.
• Enables secure data flows for care, payment, operations.

Implementation Overview

Phased: assess risks, build safeguards/training/BAAs, operate/monitor. Applies to US healthcare entities of all sizes; ongoing audits, documentation retention (6 years). (178 words)