Update Applicable to:	Effective Date
All Employers and Multi-State Employers in California, Colorado, and Connecticut	See Details Below

What happened?

On September 9, 2025, officials from California, Colorado, Connecticut, and the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) announced a coordinated investigative sweep targeting businesses that may be ignoring Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.

Overview:

What Is GPC? Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a browser-based tool, available as a built-in setting or extension, that sends a universal opt-out signal to websites. This signal communicates a user’s legally binding preference to stop the sale or sharing of their personal information, including for targeted advertising.

• GPC simplifies privacy management by allowing users to automatically opt out across multiple websites without having to submit individual requests.

This joint effort marks a significant step in enforcing consumer privacy rights and signals that regulators are prioritizing compliance with automated opt-out mechanisms like GPC.

Legal Requirements: State privacy laws in California, Colorado, and Connecticut require businesses to honor GPC signals:

• California: Under the CCPA, businesses must respect opt-out requests and cannot ask users to opt back in for at least 12 months.

• Connecticut: The CTDPA mandates recognition of GPC signals starting January 1, 2025.

• Colorado: The Colorado Privacy Act also requires businesses to treat GPC as a valid opt-out mechanism.

Additional Information:

Enforcement Action:

• Regulators sent letters to businesses suspected of noncompliance, urging immediate action.

• The sweep is part of a broader strategy under the Consortium of Privacy Regulators, a multistate alliance formed in April 2025.

• Officials emphasized that ignoring GPC signals is no longer acceptable and may result in fines or other enforcement actions.

Businesses Considerations: Businesses must ensure their websites properly process these signals, which communicate a user’s legally binding decision to opt out of data sales, sharing, and targeted advertising.

Source References

• CPPA Joint Statement – Press Release
• CPPA Consortium to Collaborate – Press Release (April 16, 2025)

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