• by Ray Schultz , April 30, 2025

A California bill that would protect news media and other businesses from frivolous lawsuits pertaining to their online technology use, has been advanced out of committee.  

The California Senate Public Safety Committee voted unanimously voted to advance SB 690, the News/Media Alliance reports.  

The bill, sponsored by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), would correct a loophole in the 1967 California Invasion of Privacy Act  that allows litigation against businesses, including news media, for “their standard use of everyday online technologies,” the News Media Alliance writes.  

The current law prohibits tapping a communication wire or intercepting or recording a telephone communication without the consent of all parties. SB 690 would exempt communication intercepts for a commercial business purpose from those prohibitions.

In addition, existing law authorizes those who feel they are injured by a violation to bring action for monetary damages. 

This bill would specify that this authorization does not apply to the processing of personal information for a commercial business purpose. 

This bill would be retroactive to any case pending as of January 1, 2026.