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Because receiving a letter citing chapter & verse of the legal code is generally never the precursor to a nice friendly chat. The actual-not-fake-researcher (i

Because receiving a letter citing chapter & verse of the legal code is generally never the precursor to a nice friendly chat. The actual-not-fake-researcher (instead of fictional people) could have sent a nice friendly request saying, "I'm a PhD candidate working on public policy in the tech sector. Could you please answer the following questions regarding your process of CCPA compliance, if applicable"

ajkjk 5y ago
Sure, of course not, but a near panic attack still seems a bit... out of proportion.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- ineedasername 5y ago
  If you have run a business small enough that you don't have a lawyer on standby then you might understand a little better. I have, and received a real legal threat. A bit of panic as you contemplate the financial devastation & wreckage it might leave your life in... well, a little bit of panic is actually a pretty reasonable response there. If you've been in that situation and been totally calm about it then that's a good thing for you, but that's not the common response for someone contemplating a life-changing encounter with the legal system.
  - Ekaros 5y ago
    These businesses should have been aware of this already. It is their own fault for not being aware of their status and preparing for it. In no way anyone but they are to blame in this case.
    - kstrauser 5y ago
      I think you didn’t read my original blog post that’s linked here. I’m not a business. They send the email to me regarding my personal, hobby, zero-revenue website. I have no legal obligations under the CCPA, but I didn’t know that until I spent a few stressed-out hours researching this. Even then I was worried about the idea of being sued over it anyway, and having to explain to a court why I believed I shouldn’t be liable for damages.
Miner49er 5y ago
Legal threats are a common occurance nowadays though. I get calls weekly saying a warrant had been issued for my arrest or that my "SSN is about to be revoked". The email also clearly says they are not sending a request at this time and it seems nicely written to me. I guess I don't get why this is on HN and everyone is so livid about it.
- wtallis 5y ago
  > I guess I don't get why this is on HN and everyone is so livid about it. I think this kind of scam would end up on HN even if it was a bunch of Nigerians doing it, and what's making people angry instead of merely taking note while rolling their eyes at scammers stooping to a new low is the fact that it's respectable universities rather than Nigerians.
- kstrauser 5y ago
  I understand what you’re saying, but this seemed a far more credible threat than someone wanting me to send them Bitcoin to delete my webcam video. For instance, here’s a story about a lawyer who filed so many ADA lawsuits that a judge barred them from filing any more. People abuse the legal system all the time, and while people on the receiving end of a lawsuit can fight it, it’s guaranteed to be expensive in many ways. I could absolutely see someone filing thousands of CCPA lawsuits that wouldn’t actually stand up in trial, but which would be an utter fiasco for even the un-liable defendants. Edit: Oops, here’s a story: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/serial-litigant-permanently-enjoined-filing-frivolous-ada-lawsuits-against-az https://www.azag.gov/press-release/serial-litigant-permanent...
- shkkmo 5y ago
  > . I get calls weekly saying a warrant had been issued for my arrest or that my "SSN is about to be revoked". And those are all illegal. If the telecoms weren't incompetent and protected from liability, you could find the people who did those things and either sue them or file charges.

ajkjk 5y ago

Sure, of course not, but a near panic attack still seems a bit... out of proportion.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
ineedasername 5y ago
If you have run a business small enough that you don't have a lawyer on standby then you might understand a little better. I have, and received a real legal threat. A bit of panic as you contemplate the financial devastation & wreckage it might leave your life in... well, a little bit of panic is actually a pretty reasonable response there. If you've been in that situation and been totally calm about it then that's a good thing for you, but that's not the common response for someone contemplating a life-changing encounter with the legal system.
- Ekaros 5y ago
  These businesses should have been aware of this already. It is their own fault for not being aware of their status and preparing for it. In no way anyone but they are to blame in this case.
  - kstrauser 5y ago
    I think you didn’t read my original blog post that’s linked here. I’m not a business. They send the email to me regarding my personal, hobby, zero-revenue website. I have no legal obligations under the CCPA, but I didn’t know that until I spent a few stressed-out hours researching this. Even then I was worried about the idea of being sued over it anyway, and having to explain to a court why I believed I shouldn’t be liable for damages.

Miner49er 5y ago

Legal threats are a common occurance nowadays though. I get calls weekly saying a warrant had been issued for my arrest or that my "SSN is about to be revoked". The email also clearly says they are not sending a request at this time and it seems nicely written to me. I guess I don't get why this is on HN and everyone is so livid about it.

wtallis 5y ago
> I guess I don't get why this is on HN and everyone is so livid about it. I think this kind of scam would end up on HN even if it was a bunch of Nigerians doing it, and what's making people angry instead of merely taking note while rolling their eyes at scammers stooping to a new low is the fact that it's respectable universities rather than Nigerians.
kstrauser 5y ago
I understand what you’re saying, but this seemed a far more credible threat than someone wanting me to send them Bitcoin to delete my webcam video. For instance, here’s a story about a lawyer who filed so many ADA lawsuits that a judge barred them from filing any more. People abuse the legal system all the time, and while people on the receiving end of a lawsuit can fight it, it’s guaranteed to be expensive in many ways. I could absolutely see someone filing thousands of CCPA lawsuits that wouldn’t actually stand up in trial, but which would be an utter fiasco for even the un-liable defendants. Edit: Oops, here’s a story: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/serial-litigant-permanently-enjoined-filing-frivolous-ada-lawsuits-against-az https://www.azag.gov/press-release/serial-litigant-permanent...
shkkmo 5y ago
> . I get calls weekly saying a warrant had been issued for my arrest or that my "SSN is about to be revoked". And those are all illegal. If the telecoms weren't incompetent and protected from liability, you could find the people who did those things and either sue them or file charges.