Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Opt Me Out Act (AB 556) on Wednesday, Oct. 8, requiring all internet browsers to implement features that allow Californian users to easily refuse the sharing or selling of their personal data by Feb. 2027. The act would require web browsers, such as Safari and Chrome, to include a simple, user-friendly setting called an Opt-Out Preference Signal (OOPS) that allows users to automatically communicate their privacy preferences to every website they visit. Both websites and companies are mandated to accept the signal as a valid opt-out response. With 96 percent of teens in the U.S. using the internet daily, this act aims to give consumers, including younger internet users, more control over their personal data.
Under current practices, each website provides a unique method to opt out of sharing data, most commonly a pop-up for first-time users that prompts users to “Accept all,” “Reject non-essential” or “Customize my preferences” in accordance with how much information they wish to provide to the website or platform. Rather than continuing with these pop-ups, the California Opt Me Out Act provides users with a one-time way of opting out of data collection where users are able to toggle their preferences for their browsers rather than every website they visit.
Math and AP Computer Science A teacher David Greenstein consistently opts out of data tracking on every website he visits, often resetting his cookies as well. He believes that although websites make opting out far more difficult than accepting all permissions, as each website has a different interface, he emphasizes the importance of opting out of unnecessary cookies and data collection, noting how he finds the new-user experience refreshing after clearing his cookies.
“The interface is different for every website, where some websites give you an opt-out button to turn them off, while others you have to specifically click on all the things that you don’t want, and the list can get quite long and bothersome,” Greenstein said. “I go through my cookies every once in a while and delete them all. I know that causes some problems, such as when you revisit a website, it won’t know it’s you. But frankly, I find that kind of refreshing, and every once in a while, when I go to a website after I’ve erased my cookies, it’s actually kind of nice to visit it as though it’s seeing me for the first time.”
In contrast, senior Savir Malhotra opts out of data collection based on the type of website he visits. For example, he’s more willing to share his data with websites that will use that data to personalize his experience compared to websites that may use his data to push out targeted advertisements and try to profit off of him. He believes that considering the data’s usage by certain websites is an important factor in considering whether to allow or opt out of data collection.
“It depends on what website I’m going on, since usually for retail websites like Macy’s or Nordstrom, I definitely say no, because I don’t want to share with them what I’m looking up or have them be tracking me,” Malhotra said. “But if I’m reading an article, I’ll say yes, because I want to see more of that type of article. In general, if I want them to know that a certain type of content is what I like, and I want to see more of this, I’ll be willing to accept certain permissions.”
Greenstein believes that personalization is a worthy sacrifice for data protection. He notes how he has not seen any substantial difference in his browsing experience between opting in or out of data collection, which is why he continues to opt out of data collection and privacy concerns.
“Occasionally, I’m confused about whether or not to opt in or opt out, because sometimes I’m on a website that I want to interact with, and I know that I’m going to have to give them certain information either way,” Greenstein said. “But I’ve actually gone to websites when I want to get information, such as buying tickets on airplanes. You would think that they need all of your cookies, but I’ve opted out, and it still serves me just fine, so I don’t see the advantage of opting in on everything.”
Similar to Greenstein, as an individual with a computer science background, senior Aarnav Agrawal believes that although there can be potential perks to more personalized experiences, the Opt Me Out Act will simplify the process of data protection. Both Agrawal and Malhotra also agree that having an easier way to opt out of all data collection would be more beneficial because it simplifies the process of opting out and ensures consistent data protection. Malhotra believes that the Opt Me Out Act offers more flexibility compared to the current system of opting out individually on each website, while still only having a minimal impact on the personalized experience for him.
“Personally, I’d rather have all my information be secure from all websites than having some of it here and some of it there and some of it not there,” Malhotra said. “I would be OK with declining to or opting out of sharing all my personal information with a website through the browser’s new feature from the Opt Me Out Act since most of the websites that have articles or news apps can still personalize your suggestions without you sharing, accepting cookies or doing something similar.”
Similar to Greenstein, Agrawal consistently opts out of all data tracking on websites he visits, seeing this new law as a useful development compared to the current system of opting out individually on each website. He believes that the law would be a good improvement but its effectiveness will heavily rely upon the user’s awareness, and thinks that passing digital privacy laws must be accompanied by teaching people how to use them in order to be successful.
“I think in the current state, the Opt Me Out Act might not do much,” Agrawal said. “Especially if there isn’t any kind of increased awareness, people won’t know much about it or won’t realize that their browser has this new setting to stop companies from tracking their data. I think the law is a step in the right direction, but I think it would only be effective if people actually know that it exists.”
Despite the potential improvements that the Opt Me Out Act will include, Agrawal, Malhotra and Greenstein all believe that it should not be the only method of effective data protection. Agrawal and Greenstein both highlight the importance of educating youth on cybersecurity and online safety, and also emphasize how cookie-based tracking is only one method in which user data is collected online. They note how much personal information is public on the internet, and ultimately both agree that there should be more safeguards in place in order to protect users from online surveillance.
“Obviously, this one law isn’t going to solve all data privacy issues, but it is definitely one step toward the right direction,” Agrawal said. “Along with having more awareness about these laws through news articles, people need to be more educated about when and where they are sharing their data, and learn to make smarter decisions instead of just clicking the button that lets these companies track all your data. But ultimately, it’s also the mix of laws like this act that would help move toward accomplishing that goal.”
