Honda Fined $632,500 for CCPA Violations: A Legacy Consent Tool, Dark Patterns, and More

On March 12, 2025, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) fined American Honda Motor Co. $632,500 for violating the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)—highlighting the critical importance of collecting valid consumer consent and avoiding dark patterns, implementing robust technical controls (rather than workflow based tooling), and limiting excessive and unnecessary data collection.

Keep reading for a closer look at why Honda was fined, how companies can avoid similar pitfalls, and how Transcend can help.

Why did the CPPA fine Honda $632,500?

The CPPA’s investigation into Honda stemmed from concerns about the company’s data privacy practices, particularly in relation to the increasing prevalence of connected vehicles. The agency identified several violations:

1. Excessive personal data collection

The CPPA found that Honda was requiring excessive personal information from Californians, including an in-depth verification process, in order to fulfill privacy rights such as opting out of data sales and limiting data sharing. This practice goes against the spirit of the CCPA, which seeks to protect individuals' privacy while offering a streamlined process for exercising privacy rights.

2. Flawed consent management tool + use of dark patterns

Honda’s use of a legacy privacy tool that failed to offer symmetrical and equal choices for consumers was another significant sticking point. Users were forced to take two steps to opt-out of data sharing, while opting in only required one. The agency deemed this a “dark pattern,” which was specifically prohibited under the CCPA.

For reference, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) revised guidelines define dark patterns as, “a user interface designed or manipulated with the substantial effect of subverting or impairing user autonomy, decision making, or choice.” These guidelines also explicitly state that:

3. Difficulty for authorized agents

The CPPA found that Honda made it unnecessarily complicated for consumers to authorize third parties—like privacy advocates or legal representatives—to act on their behalf when exercising privacy rights. This goes against the CCPA's requirement to make it easy for authorized agents to submit privacy requests on behalf of individuals.

4. Lack of proper contracts with ad tech companies

Honda was also found to be sharing consumers' personal data with ad tech companies without the proper service provider agreements in place to protect the privacy of the data being shared. Under the CCPA, businesses must ensure that data-sharing agreements with third parties are clear and legally sound.

Honda’s case serves as a reminder that compliance with privacy laws is not just about having the right policies in place—it’s about how these policies are implemented and executed in practice. Businesses need to be intentional about implementing user consent mechanisms that are transparent, fair, and easy for consumers to navigate.

How Transcend can help

Transcends streamlined, automated solutions for data subject request (DSR) fulfillment and consent management take the burden off privacy teams and while supporting confident compliance with privacy laws like the CCPA.

Comprehensive consent coverage

Legacy cookie banners and first-generation consent managers often only address cookies and pixels, while leaving gaps in tracking technologies and downstream data processing signals. Transcend ensures complete coverage by managing consent across all domains, apps, and regions, from client-side UI to backend opt-outs.

Learn more about Transcend Consent Management

Truly automated data subject request fulfillment

Traditional privacy tools only coordinate workflows for DSR fulfillment, often leaving your team to process requests manually. Transcend’s DSR Automation makes it easy to delete, de-identify, return, or modify user data or preferences across your entire tech stack. Unlike semi-automated tools that still require human intervention, Transcend’s truly automated solution saves you time, reduces the risk of human error, and increases operational efficiency.

Learn more about Transcend DSR Automation

Visibility and reporting at scale

Transcend offers robust visibility with comprehensive records of consent, audit logs, and enterprise-level reporting. You can confidently manage your global digital footprint, covering 200+ tracking technologies, and maintain full transparency with all your privacy activities.

90% of customers report increased compliance after switching to Transcend, thanks to our easy-to-use platform.