Most of us are at least vaguely aware that our personal data is being collected all the time online — and then that information is bought and sold by companies who use it to target us with ads that can seem a little too on point.

But now, California has passed landmark legislation aimed at protecting consumers privacy in entirely new ways. It’s a law that goes into effect in the new year and it has far-reaching implications — even for those of us who don’t live in the Golden State.

For more on what the new law will change and what we all need to know about it, The Show spoke with Alex Alben, a law professor at UCLA and the former Chief Privacy Officer for the State of Washington.

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