Starting on January 1st, 2026, all California residents will have the ability to make a single request to online platforms for the deletion of their personal data. This initiative is designed to help protect citizens’ privacy by ensuring that sensitive information—such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, contact details, health data, and email addresses—can no longer be used by data brokers. These brokers, who often sell personal information to marketing and advertising agencies, have long been a concern for privacy advocates.
To streamline the process of data deletion, the California government has introduced a new platform called the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP). This platform was developed by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and officially launched at the end of 2025, with full functionality starting on January 1st, 2026.
Before the creation of DROP, California residents who wanted to protect their privacy had to contact each data broker individually—an exhausting and time-consuming task. At its peak, there were approximately 500 data brokers operating in the state. These brokers would sell personal data to third parties for profit, often without the knowledge or consent of the individuals whose data they were using. The 2023 California Delete Act required the government to address this problem by creating a platform where users could make a single request to remove their data from these brokers’ databases.
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which has been a critical tool in giving Californians more control over their personal data, also plays a key role in supporting this new initiative. Through the DROP platform, residents can create a profile by entering basic information like their name, contact number, and email address. Once the profile is set up, they can submit a data deletion request.
Data brokers must process these deletion requests by August 2026, or they will face a penalty of $200 per day for each day they fail to comply. This new law strengthens data privacy protections and ensures that Californians have the tools to regain control over their personal information in the digital age.
Join our LinkedIn group Information Security Community!
