§ 7062. Verification for Non-Accountholders.

(a) If a consumer does not have or cannot access a password-protected account with a business, the business shall comply with this section, in addition to section 7060.

(b) A business’s compliance with a request to know categories of personal information requires that the business verify the identity of the consumer making the request to a reasonable degree of certainty. A reasonable degree of certainty may include matching at least two data points provided by the consumer with data points maintained by the business that it has determined to be reliable for the purpose of verifying the consumer.

(c) A business’s compliance with a request to know specific pieces of personal information requires that the business verify the identity of the consumer making the request to a reasonably high degree of certainty. A reasonably high degree of certainty may include matching at least three pieces of personal information provided by the consumer with personal information maintained by the business that it has determined to be reliable for the purpose of verifying the consumer together with a signed declaration under penalty of perjury that the requestor is the consumer whose personal information is the subject of the request. If a business uses this method for verification, the business shall maintain all signed declarations as part of its record-keeping obligations.

(d) A business’s compliance with a request to delete or a request to correct may require that the business verify the identity of the consumer to a reasonable or reasonably high degree of certainty depending on the sensitivity of the personal information and the risk of harm to the consumer posed by unauthorized deletion or correction. For example, the deletion of family photographs or the correction of contact information may require a reasonably high degree of certainty, while the deletion of browsing history or correction of marital status may require only a reasonable degree of certainty. A business shall act in good faith when determining the appropriate standard to apply when verifying the consumer in accordance with these regulations.

(e) Illustrative examples follow:

(1) Example 1: If a business maintains personal information in a manner associated with a named actual person, the business may verify the consumer by requiring the consumer to provide evidence that matches the personal information maintained by the business. For example, if a retailer maintains a record of purchases made by a consumer, the business may require the consumer to identify items that they recently purchased from the store or the dollar amount of their most recent purchase to verify their identity to a reasonable degree of certainty.

(2) Example 2: If a business maintains personal information in a manner that is not associated with a named actual person, the business may verify the consumer by requiring the consumer to demonstrate that they are the sole consumer associated with the personal information. For example, a business may have a mobile application that collects personal information about the consumer but does not require an account. The business may determine whether, based on the facts and considering the factors set forth in section 7060, subsection (b)(3), it may reasonably verify a consumer by asking them to provide information that only the person who used the mobile application may know or by requiring the consumer to respond to a notification sent to their device.

(f) A business shall deny a request to know specific pieces of personal information if it cannot verify the identity of the requestor pursuant to these regulations.

(g) If there is no reasonable method by which a business can verify the identity of the consumer to the degree of certainty required by this section, the business shall state so in response to any request and explain why it has no reasonable method by which it can verify the identity of the requestor. If the business has no reasonable method by which it can verify any consumer, the business shall explain why it has no reasonable verification method in its privacy policy. The business shall evaluate and document whether a reasonable method can be established at least once every 12 months, in connection with the requirement to update the privacy policy set forth in Civil Code section 1798.130, subdivision (a)(5).

Note: Authority cited: Section 1798.185, Civil Code. Reference: Sections 1798.100, 1798.105, 1798.106, 1798.110, 1798.115, 1798.130 and 1798.185, Civil Code.