SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Starting on January 1, Californians can go to the state’s new Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), to request that online data brokers delete all of their personal information.
Many unwanted texts, calls, and emails are the result of data brokers selling your information. Personal information that has been exposed online increases risks of identity theft, fraud, AI impersonations, and hacking.
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“Data brokers collect a wide range of your personal information, which may include your social security number, data about your children, search history, and much more. DROP gives you more control over your data. You can tell data brokers to delete and not sell your personal information,” state officials wrote.
To use DROP, Californians are asked to follow three steps on the state’s website:
- 1. Confirm that you are a California resident.
- 2. Provide basic information about yourself, while choosing how much you provide.
- 3. Submit your DROP request. A single request is sent to over 500 registered data brokers.
Starting August 1, 2026, data brokers must delete your data within 90 days. Moving forward, brokers are also required to delete data every 45 days.
The new platform was required by the California Delete Act (Senate Bill 362)…