On Mar. 17, Governor Gavin Newsom, along with other state officials, announced the establishment of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) board and appointed five inaugural members.

The new agency was created by Proposition 24 approved by California voters on Nov. 4, 2020. to create the first independent regulatory and enforcement authority full administrative and jurisdiction oversight to enforce the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act of 2020.

The five-member board, made up of privacy, technology, and consumer rights experts, including the following:

• Jennifer M. Urban, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of Policy Initiatives for the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Urban was designated by Gov. Newsom.
• John Christopher Thompson, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at LA 2028. Thompson was designated by Gov. Newsom.
• Angela Sierra, former Chief Assistant Attorney General of the Public Rights Division. Sierra was designated by Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
• Lydia de la Torre, professor at Santa Clara University Law School specializing in privacy law. De la Torre was designated by Senate President pro tempore Toni G. Atkins.
• Vinhcent Le, Technology Equity attorney at the Greenlining Institute, Le was designated by Speaker Anthony Rendon.

“Californians deserve to have their data protected and the individuals appointed today will bring their expertise in technology, privacy and consumer rights to advance that goal,” Gov. Newsom said via a press release from his office. “These appointees represent a new day in online consumer protection and business accountability.”