Californians -- there's a new way to protect your data online

DOJ requests data on LA's undocumented inmates

The DOJ has asked county sheriffs across California for data on undocumented inmates. Los Angeles County is one of those counties, but Sheriff Luna says his department doesn't collect that information.

LOS ANGELES - The California Privacy Protection Agency has officially launched the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP. 

This new state-run system allows Californians to demand that more than 500 registered data brokers delete their personal information and stop selling it, all through a single centralized website.

About the DROP privacy tool

The backstory:

The system has been in the works for years, mandated by a 2023 law known as the Delete Act. Under this and previous laws, data brokers are required to register with the state and provide a way for consumers to opt-out of tracking. 

Until the launch of DROP, Californians had to deliver these instructions to each broker individually. There were more than 500 brokers registered in the state as of the end of last year.

The enrollment process

What you can do:

To use the tool, Californians must visit the DROP website and verify their state residency. Once verified, users create a profile and submit a mass deletion request to the 500 data brokers currently registered in the state. 

The process requires identity verification through either the California Identity Gateway or Login.gov. 

To ensure a thorough deletion, users are encouraged to provide basic details like their name and email, as well as mobile advertising IDs from phones, smart TVs, and vehicles.

The agency suggests resetting your mobile advertising ID "because it breaks the persistent tracking link that advertisers, data brokers, and apps use to build long-term behavioral profiles of your device." 

Users can also manually turn off tracking in the settings of Android, Apple, Windows, and Mac devices to further limit data collection.

Technical data protection

Why you should care:

Privacy advocates warn that the trade of personal data, which includes home addresses, location history, and medical data, opens the door to surveillance and harassment. 

According to the state's privacy agency, "When your data stops getting sold, you’ll have less unwanted texts, calls or emails." 

Additionally, rights groups have highlighted concerns over the military and law enforcement's ability to buy personal data; for example, internal emails have shown ICE agents being encouraged to use services that source information from these brokers.

Impact of the Delete Act

What's next:

While the window to submit requests is now open, data brokers are not legally required to begin handling them until August 1, 2026. 

Users who submit a request now will receive a unique DROP ID to monitor their status. 

Later in the year, the system will notify users if their data was successfully deleted, if no records were found, or if a broker claimed a legal exemption to keep specific data.

Once the enforcement phase begins, companies will have 45 days to process user requests and 90 days to report back on their actions. Companies that fail to handle these requests can face financial penalties.