NEW YORK  - The U.S. tech backlash has taken root - not in Washington but in Silicon Valley’s own back yard. California approved a bill on June 28 that will force internet companies like Google and others to give consumers more control over their information. The Golden State is often a litmus test for legislation that takes hold nationwide.

The new rules will tip the balance of power to consumers by giving them the right to view the data collected on them by big companies, request its deletion and opt out of having it sold to third parties. Companies must ensure the same level of service for everyone even if they choose to exercise their rights – that is, not penalize them with higher fees or a lesser service. Meanwhile, users can sue for damages if their data is stolen because the company was careless.

The requirements are a distant cousin of those imposed by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation that went into effect in May. A key part of GDPR makes companies obtain a clear opt-in from consumers for permission to use personal data.

The law from California is less onerous, and only applies to residents of that state. But practically speaking it may be difficult for tech firms to carve out exceptions for a minority of their user base. More telling, the state has a history of being an early adopter of legislation that eventually catches on in D.C. The Obama administration was influenced by California’s emission standards when it set similar benchmarks for auto manufacturers across the country.

Facebook and Alphabet unit Google have been slow to tackle the threat of coming regulation. Russian meddling with content ahead of the the U.S. election, and the careless handling of consumer data that dragged Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to make an appearance on Capitol Hill, have brought things to the boil.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center says that a majority of Republicans think tech firms support the views of liberals at the expense of conservatives. That hands Congress yet one more reason to tighten rules. Yet the fact that Democrat-dominated California is out in front shows that, unfortunately for Silicon Valley, thwacking the tech sector is a bipartisan goal.

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CONTEXT NEWS

- California approved data-privacy legislation on June 28 aimed at giving consumers more control over how companies manage and collect their personal information.

- Under the law, large companies, such as those with data on more than 50,000 people, would be required to let consumers view the data they have collected on them, request the deletion of data and opt out of having the data sold to third parties.

- The legislation applies to users in California and doesn’t take effect until 2020.

- The Internet Association, a trade organization that represents Facebook, Amazon and others, said in a statement: “It is critical going forward that policymakers work to correct the inevitable, negative policy and compliance ramifications this last-minute deal will create for California’s consumers and businesses alike.”

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(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)

(Editing by John Foley and Martin Langfield) ((jennifer.saba@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jennifer.saba.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))