California’s legal push on geolocation data collection must take aim at the right targets, privacy experts say

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a sweeping investigation into advertising networks, mobile apps, and data brokers for potential violations of the CCPA related to the collection and sale of geolocation data. The probe, which includes information requests to industry players, highlights growing state-level scrutiny amid limited federal oversight and coincides with proposed California legislation to further restrict geolocation data collection. Experts note the need for clearer definitions to distinguish legitimate app functionalities from large-scale data brokerage and caution about broad enforcement impacts.