Not only does California see the need to interject itself into the contractual relationship between consumers and wireless phone companies (see Adam's post below), but the state senate there passed a bill this week limiting Google's freedom to offer "G-Mail" to customers. As PFF Adjunct Fellow Paul Rubin has written about the so-called California Consumers Bill of Rights passed by the California PUC, such regulations limit consumer freedom and choice.
But, of course, that is really the point of these regulations. The regulators, and now the state senate, do not think that people are smart enough to make decisions for themselves. Of course, there is a potent necessity for the law to protect against fraud. But these are run-of-the-mill bargains between consumers and companies -- yet still California government presumes to have the perspicacity and certainty to know best what terms should govern.
Fortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger has two appointments to the PUC in January, and of course veto power over the legislature's overzealous and specious "privacy" concerns. Let's hope that he has more trust in the people than the rest of California government.
[Incidentally, for Rubin and Lenard on privacy, go here.]