This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Information Practices Act of 1977.
Information Practices Act ofGeneral Provisions and Legislative Findings
Section § 1798
This section establishes the name of the law as the Information Practices Act of 1977.
Information Practices Act 1977 California privacy law
Section § 1798.1
This California law emphasizes that privacy is a fundamental right for everyone, supported by both the state's and the U.S. Constitution. It highlights concerns over how personal data is collected, stored, and shared, especially with the rise of advanced technology like computers. The law finds that current protections may not be sufficient, so strict limits are needed to safeguard individual privacy when handling personal information.
The Legislature declares that the right to privacy is a personal and fundamental right protected by Section 1 of Article I of the Constitution of California and by the United States Constitution and that all individuals have a right of privacy in information pertaining to them. The Legislature further makes the following findings:
(a)CA Civil Law Code § 1798.1(a) The right to privacy is being threatened by the indiscriminate collection, maintenance, and dissemination of personal information and the lack of effective laws and legal remedies.
(b)CA Civil Law Code § 1798.1(b) The increasing use of
computers and other sophisticated information technology has greatly magnified the potential risk to individual privacy that can occur from the maintenance of personal information.
(c)CA Civil Law Code § 1798.1(c) In order to protect the privacy of individuals, it is necessary that the maintenance and dissemination of personal information be subject to strict limits.
right to privacy personal information data protection
