California's SB 690 removes some claims available under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), but lawyers at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP warn that privacy and legal risks remain for businesses that track, record or analyze website visitors and customer communications.

The law firm's analysis, published under the headline "California's SB 690 Removes Some CIPA Claims, But Privacy and Legal Risks Remain," signals a partial retreat from one of the most active plaintiff-side litigation fronts in the United States. It is not a full shield.

Why does CIPA matter to photo businesses?

CIPA has become a favored vehicle for class actions against companies using tracking pixels, session-replay tools and analytics software on their websites. Photographers and studios operating e-commerce storefronts — booking forms, proofing galleries, print sales pages — sit in the same exposure zone as larger retailers when third-party scripts capture visitor data.

What does this change for a working studio? The answer, per the Hinshaw analysis, is narrower than many operators may hope: some CIPA claims disappear, others survive.

What survives the amendment?

The firm's title itself carries the caution. "Privacy and Legal Risks Remain" is the operative half of the message. Businesses face continuing exposure under:

• CIPA provisions untouched by SB 690
• Other California privacy statutes and consumer-protection claims
• Federal and state wiretapping theories beyond the amended scope

The analysis treats SB 690 as claim-narrowing legislation, not immunity.

Practical read for the trade

Any studio running ad pixels, chat widgets or analytics on a client-facing site should read the amendment as a reason to audit tooling, not abandon caution. The plaintiff's bar has repeatedly pivoted between statutes as legislatures close individual claim paths.

Hinshaw & Culbertson, a defense-side firm, frames the development as risk management rather than resolution. Expect continued litigation testing the boundary between removed and surviving claims as courts interpret the new statute.

Photo Trade Wire will track how SB 690's carve-outs play out in early case law affecting imaging businesses with California-based clients.