How California Is Building the Nation’s First Privacy Police
Summary
But first the agency has to be built — and Mr. Soltani, 47, a privacy expert who once served as the Federal Trade Commission’s top technologist, has to overcome the lack of precedent. So he has reached out to groups not exactly adjacent to what his agency will be, like the racing board and others, for help navigating his new position. They face questions from privacy activists about whether their budget is substantial enough to police the world’s largest companies. “It’s easily the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life, but also I think potentially the most impactful,” said Mr. Soltani, who has been working from his home in Oakland, Calif. State capitals and foreign countries are increasingly taking a hands-on approach to limiting online data collection, curtailing the tech giants’ power and moderating extreme content on social media.