With the new year coming up fast, businesses are all scrambling to begin implementing necessary changes before the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) goes into effect. And as one might expect, this poses some unique difficulties for small business that don’t have the same resources as larger companies might.
This month, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) released the findings of a number of surveys they conducted with small and medium sized businesses about their preparation for the CCPA. The findings highlight the unique impact compliance with the CCPA is having on smaller businesses.
Here are some of the key findings:
Confusion is Universal
One interesting aspect of the survey was that confusion surrounding CCPA compliance was universal to both small and large businesses. However, small businesses expressed a specific lack of clarity regarding what employee data is covered, how the sale of data relates to basic advertising, and potential conflicts with existing regulations.
Vendor Management
Another key concern for small businesses is how the CCPA will affect their use of vendors and third parties. Because they have a limited number of employees, small businesses are more likely to outsource some of their work onto third parties. And, according to the IAPP’s findings, small businesses are less likely to have specific programs in place to ensure vendors’ privacy policies meet their own standards and comply with regulations. The report found that while small businesses do generally include privacy clauses in vendor contracts, “they use privacy questionnaires and audits significantly less often than larger companies.”
Lack of Automation
The survey also found that small businesses are less likely to have privacy-focused automation in place. Because the CCPA requires business to process consumers’ data access requests, processing these requests along with managing data inventories will likely become more of a burden for small businesses. Without the resources to automate these processes, small businesses fear that implementing and managing data access requests will require an overwhelming amount of time and energy.
What’s more, lack of automation could make it easier for fraudulent data access requests to slip by, resulting in data breaches that would leave them in violation of the CCPA. This has already been an issue with the GDPR, and small business worry that they don’t have the tools necessary to effectively verify the identity of individuals requesting access to their data.
While preparation for the CCPA is a top concern for businesses of all sizes, the IAPP’s findings show that small business are facing a number of unique challenges. When it comes to compliance, the CCPA holds all businesses to the same standard. And while this gives consumers greater assurance that their privacy is protected across the board, the impact this will have on small business is greater than what larger companies are experiencing.
