CCPA Compliance for Website Analytics
Understanding the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) requirements for website analytics.
Note
What is CCPA/CPRA?
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), enhanced by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), gives California residents rights over their personal data. It applies to businesses that:
- Have gross annual revenues over $25 million, OR
- Buy, sell, or share personal information of 100,000+ California residents, OR
- Derive 50%+ of revenue from selling/sharing personal information
Even if you're below these thresholds, following CCPA guidelines is good practice and prepares you for growth.
Consumer Rights Under CCPA/CPRA
Consumers can request to know what personal information you collect, how it's used, and with whom it's shared.
Consumers can request deletion of their personal information, with some exceptions.
Consumers can opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of their personal information.
Under CPRA, consumers can request correction of inaccurate personal information.
Under CPRA, consumers can limit use of "sensitive personal information" (precise geolocation, race, health data, etc.).
You cannot discriminate against consumers who exercise their privacy rights.
CCPA/CPRA and Website Analytics
What Counts as "Personal Information"?
Under CCPA, personal information includes:
- IP addresses
- Device identifiers
- Cookies and tracking pixels
- Browsing history
- Geolocation data
- Any data that can identify a consumer or household
Most traditional analytics tools collect several of these data points.
What is "Selling" or "Sharing"?
Under CPRA, "sharing" means providing personal information to third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising. This includes:
- Using Google Analytics (data goes to Google)
- Facebook Pixel for ad targeting
- Any third-party tracking for advertising
If you "share" data, you must provide a "Do Not Share My Personal Information" link.
Requirements for Analytics
If you use traditional analytics that collect personal information:
- Disclose data collection in your privacy policy
- Provide opt-out mechanisms for data sharing
- Honor "Do Not Sell/Share" requests
- Respond to access and deletion requests
- Sign appropriate contracts with analytics providers
The Privacy-First Advantage
Privacy-first analytics tools like Invoker simplify CCPA compliance because:
- No personal information is collected (no IP storage, no identifiers)
- No data is "shared" with third parties for advertising
- There's nothing to delete because nothing identifiable is stored
- No "Do Not Sell" link needed for analytics
CCPA vs GDPR
Key differences relevant to analytics:
- Consent: GDPR requires opt-in consent; CCPA requires opt-out option
- Scope: GDPR applies to any personal data; CCPA has revenue thresholds
- Penalties: GDPR up to 4% of revenue; CCPA $2,500-$7,500 per violation
- Private action: CCPA allows private lawsuits for data breaches
If you're GDPR compliant, you're likely CCPA compliant too. The reverse isn't always true.
Invoker Analytics helps you stay CCPA compliant:
- No personal information: We don't collect IP addresses, device IDs, or identifiers
- No data sharing: Your analytics data isn't shared with anyone
- No selling: We don't sell data to advertisers or data brokers
- Simple disclosure: You can accurately state "Our analytics tool does not collect personal information"