Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2624 in late August, and protests and a rally at the State Capitol on Wednesday featured independent journalist Nick Shirley and Republican lawmakers opposing the measure.
- The law expands California’s address‑confidentiality program and makes it a crime and a civil wrong to publish the personal information or images of designated immigration‑service providers when done with intent to threaten or incite violence.
- AB 2624 creates a private civil remedy with reported statutory damages around $4,000 and allows criminal penalties for violations, changes supporters say are meant to stop doxxing and threats against workers.
- Opponents say the statute’s language could chill investigative reporting; Nick Shirley has said he may deliberately test the law, and conservative legal groups including the Pacific Justice Institute have pledged litigation and sought a Department of Justice review.
- The law does not take effect until Oct. 1, 2027, and it builds on the existing Safe at Home program, making pre‑enforcement challenges and political pressure the likeliest next steps before courts consider its constitutional limits.