Delete Act and DROP: Get Your Info Deleted from Data Brokers

February 23, 2026 By Nick Anderson No Comments 4 minutes

Data brokers grab your name, address, phone number, and shopping habits every day. They buy this information from stores, apps, and public lists. Then they sell it to advertisers and other companies. You start getting spam calls and creepy ads. Sometimes scammers get hold of it too. California stepped up and made things easier. They created the Delete Act and DROP. Now you can wipe your non-exempt personal info from hundreds of brokers with one request. No more hunting down each company yourself.

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Why Brokers Collect Your Information in the First Place

You never signed up with most of these brokers. They pull info from voter rolls, property records, and online trackers. They mix it all together and build a full picture of you. Then they sell that picture. You might pay more for insurance because of what they think you earn. Or you get calls from people who already know where you live. The Delete Act and DROP stop a lot of this hidden selling.

How the Delete Act and DROP Started

California passed the CCPA back in 2018. It gave you the right to ask for your data back. But you had to contact every single broker one by one. Most people got tired and quit. In 2019, brokers had to register their names and sites. Then, in 2023, lawmakers passed the Delete Act and DROP to fix the hassle. The law tells the California Privacy Protection Agency to build one central system. Brokers must join it every year.

Starting in 2028, they also need outside audits every three years. The Delete Act and DROP cover regular personal info. It does not touch exempt data like certain health or court records.

What DROP Really Does

DROP stands for Data Broker Requests and Opt-Out Platform. It is a free state website. You visit once, prove you live in California, type in your details, and click send. Your request goes to every registered broker at the same time.

Brokers have to check the system every 45 days after August 1, 2026. When they find you, they delete the matching info and stop selling it. The Delete Act and DROP keep running in the background. New data that shows up later gets cleaned too if it matches.

How to Use Delete Act and DROP

Open your browser and head to privacy.ca.gov/drop.
Click start and prove you are in California. The system uses the state gateway or Login.gov. It checks your license or voting address and does not keep copies.
Next, you build your profile. Add your full name, old names, birth date, ZIP code, emails, phones, and ad IDs. The more you add, the better the matches.
Look at the list of over 500 brokers. Uncheck any you want to keep if you like.
Hit submit. You get a DROP ID right away. Save it.

After August 2026, log back in any time to see the status. It shows deleted, pending, or no record found.

Real Benefits You Will Notice

Spam calls drop off. Text messages slow down. Fewer weird ads follow you around. Scammers have less to work with because your details are harder to buy. Families like it because one person can help parents or kids. You do the work once and keep checking every few months. The Delete Act and DROP cost nothing and work for all California residents.

Some Things the DELETE Act and DROP Do Not Cover

It only reaches registered brokers in California. If a company is not on the list, you still contact them the old way. Certain data stays because other laws protect it, such as public court files, HIPAA health records, and stuff you gave directly to your bank. New data can appear later if you keep using apps. You may send another request after a year or two.

Right now, only California residents can use it. Other states do not have this exact tool yet. If the broker says no record found, that just means they never had your info, which is actually good news.

FAQs

Who can actually send a request with the Delete Act and DROP?

Only people who live in California right now. You prove it by showing a California driver’s license, voter registration, or main home address. The check takes a minute, and the system does not save your documents afterward. If you split time between states, but California is still your main home, you can use it. Parents can handle requests for kids under 18 in some cases. Adult children can help older parents who need a hand. An authorized agent can step in, too. The whole thing stays free no matter how many times you update your profile later. This rule keeps the tool just for folks that the California law covers. If you moved recently, make sure the address you use matches what the checker looks for. You can send the request as often as you want without paying anything. The Delete Act and DROP stay open to all verified California residents.

What exactly gets deleted when you use the Delete Act and DROP?

It removes most personal info brokers hold on you. Names, phone numbers, emails, home addresses, dates of birth, shopping records, and even guesses they make about your interests or income all go away. The brokers must also stop selling or sharing that info from then on. But some pieces stay because other laws say so. Public court records, certain government files, and health data protected by HIPAA usually remain. Data you give straight to a company you actually use, like your bank or grocery store, does not get touched either. The Delete Act and DROP targets the hidden data that gets bought and sold behind your back. You help the brokers find more of your records by adding extra details like old emails or phone numbers in your profile. The more accurate your info, the cleaner the result.

How long until brokers actually delete my data?

You can submit your request today because the site is already live. Brokers start checking the system on August 1, 2026. After that date, they look every 45 days for new requests. Once they match your details, they have up to 90 days to wipe the info and stop selling it. You track everything with your DROP ID. Some brokers move faster than others. If you add a new phone number later, the 90-day clock starts again for that piece. The Delete Act and DROP keep running, so any fresh data that matches you later gets removed too. Most people notice fewer spam messages within a few weeks once full processing begins. Just be patient through the first couple of months after August 2026. Check your status every month to stay on top of it.

Is the DROP website safe to use?

Yes, the California Privacy Protection Agency built and runs it with strong security. All your details stay protected. The verification partners check your info and then delete their copies. Nothing you enter gets sold or passed to anyone else. The site uses up-to-date encryption, so no one can grab your data while you type. The state promises DROP will never charge fees or misuse what you share.

Can people outside California use the Delete Act and DROP?

No, the tool is only for California residents. The law was written to help people protected under state privacy rules. If you live somewhere else, you still have some rights under the regular CCPA if the broker does business in California, but you cannot use the single-click DROP system. States like Oregon, Texas, and Vermont make brokers register, but none offer a central platform like this yet. If you plan to move to California soon, wait until you are officially a resident. In the meantime, you can contact brokers one by one or use the opt-out links on their own sites. The Delete Act and DROP show what strong state rules can do. More states may copy the idea in the future.

Final Words!

The Delete Act and DROP give California residents a real way to clean up their data. You send one request, and hundreds of brokers have to listen. Spam drops, scams get harder, and you stay in control. The system is free, safe, and keeps working in the background. Sure, it has limits, and you may need to update later, but it beats chasing companies one by one.