California will increase its privacy and data protection enforcement efforts with the creation of the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit, announced by California’s Attorney General, Kamala D. Harris on July 19, 2012. The Privacy Unit, which will be housed in the eCrime Unit of the California Department of Justice, will combine the various privacy functions of the Department of Justice into a single enforcement and education unit with privacy expertise.

Joanne McNabb, currently Chief of the California Office of Privacy Protection, will serve as the Director of Privacy Education and Policy, and will oversee the Privacy Unit’s education and outreach efforts.

Travis LeBlanc, Special Assistant Attorney General for Technology for California will head up the enforcement division.  Six prosecutors will concentrate on enforcement of the laws regulating the collection, retention, disclosure, and destruction of private or sensitive information by individuals, organizations, and the government, including laws relating to cyber privacy, health privacy, financial privacy, identity theft, government records and data breaches.

• Meet the Upcoming California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
• CCPA – California Consumer Privacy Act – A Primer
• Amendments to California Security Breach Law