Proposed CPPA rules would harm small and Black-owned businesses

California’s Black-owned businesses are woven throughout our state’s innovative and dynamic economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in fiscal impact, contributing to California’s global leadership in technology and innovation. As President & CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce, I’m highly attentive to the regulatory environment these businesses face and deeply concerned about the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)’s proposed rules on automated decision-making technology. The proposed rules from the unelected bureaucrats at the CPPA would impose significant costs on my members and small businesses across the state without addressing any real or significant privacy concerns. The regulations wouldn’t just impact artificial intelligence or sophisticated algorithms, but also regulate basic business tools that small companies rely on every day – from simple Excel spreadsheets used to track employee performance to standard software that helps businesses offer relevant products to their customers. The proposed regulations seem relatively unremarkable and benign – after all, who doesn’t support privacy protection? Under the hood, however, you’ll find an alarming government overreach that could devastate Black-owned small businesses already struggling to compete in California’s challenging business environment, which should greatly concern the Governor and legislative leadership who appointed...