Why Data Privacy Complaints Are a Growing Risk for Businesses

Data privacy is no longer an abstract legal issue—it is an operational risk that can quickly escalate into regulatory action. With the rapid rise of state-level privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), and the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), consumers now have clear avenues to file complaints about how companies handle personal information.

For Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and leadership teams, this means one dissatisfied customer could trigger a formal complaint with a state Attorney General’s office, potentially leading to investigations, fines, or mandatory remediation.

How Consumers File a Data Privacy Complaint in the U.S.

State Attorneys General as Enforcers

Most state-level privacy laws empower State Attorneys General (AGs) to enforce compliance. Consumers can:

• File complaints directly with the AG’s office.
  
• Submit concerns online through official state portals.
  
• Request enforcement when businesses fail to respond to Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), such as requests to delete or correct personal information.

For example:

• California’s complaint process is available at the California Department of Justice (oag.ca.gov).
  
• Colorado consumers can file through the Colorado Attorney General’s Office (coag.gov).
  
• Virginia directs complaints to the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia (oag.state.va.us).

Key Triggers for Complaints

Businesses are most often targeted when they:

• Fail to honor consumer opt-out rights.
  
• Mismanage sensitive personal data.
  
• Ignore or delay DSARs.
  
• Provide unclear or misleading privacy notices.

Why Privacy Complaints Matter to CEOs and Companies

A single complaint can:

• Trigger Regulatory Investigations – Complaints often prompt Attorneys General to dig deeper into company practices.
  
• Damage Brand Reputation – Negative publicity from noncompliance damages trust with clients and partners.
  
• Create Costly Legal Exposure – Investigations can result in penalties, mandated changes, and expensive settlements.

For CEOs, the reputational and financial risks make proactive compliance planning essential. Waiting for a complaint to occur puts your company on the defensive.

How Curated Privacy LLC Helps Businesses Prepare and Respond

At Curated Privacy LLC, we position your company to handle privacy complaints before they become costly regulatory problems. Our services include:

• Complaint Readiness Assessments – We review your privacy policies, notices, and data handling practices to ensure compliance with state requirements.
  
• DSAR Process Design – We help you set up efficient workflows to respond to consumer access, deletion, and correction requests.
  
• Regulatory Response Support – If a complaint reaches a state Attorney General, we guide you in drafting responses and demonstrating compliance.
  
• Training for Compliance Teams – We prepare your staff to handle privacy complaints in a way that builds consumer trust and avoids escalation.

Best of all, we offer FREE consultations so CEOs and business leaders can understand where their organization stands before a complaint ever occurs.

Conclusion

Data privacy complaints are no longer rare—they are becoming a normal part of the regulatory landscape. Companies that fail to prepare risk losing customer trust, facing investigations, and paying steep penalties.

The solution is to stay proactive, not reactive.

Partner with Curated Privacy LLC to protect your organization from the growing risk of state-level data privacy complaints. Schedule your FREE consultation today at www.curatedprivacy.com or email us directly at info@curatedprivacy.com.