California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), effective from January 1, 2020, is a pioneering privacy law in the United States that grants California residents significant rights over their personal data, including the right to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of their information. This legislation uniquely provides compensation for data breaches, encouraging potential class action lawsuits, and expands the definition of personal information to include inferred data about consumer behavior and preferences. Compliance is mandatory for certain for-profit businesses meeting specific criteria, such as earning over $25M in revenue or collecting data on over 50,000 individuals, and involves informing consumers about data practices and enabling them to manage their data rights. Businesses are encouraged to adopt privacy best practices and automate compliance processes to meet the law's requirements and avoid penalties, which can reach up to $7,500 for intentional violations after a 30-day correction period. The CCPA also impacts API programs, requiring businesses to ensure data handling practices align with the law's requirements, such as not allowing anonymous access, logging data operations, and implementing infrastructure to handle data subject requests efficiently. Compliance is seen as crucial not only for legal adherence but also for security purposes, and while enforcement was initially set for mid-2020, organizations are urged to begin compliance efforts promptly.