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California officials unveil DROP tool under Delete Act to let residents wipe personal data from 500+ brokers
Summary
State Senator Josh Becker and Tom Kemp of the California Privacy Protection Agency announced the public launch of DROP, a delete-and-opt-out platform under the Delete Act that lets Californians request permanent deletion of personal data from more than 500 registered data brokers; brokers must begin processing requests Aug. 1 and have 45 days to respond.
State Senator Josh Becker and Tom Kemp, executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, announced the public launch of a state-run deletion and opt-out platform on the first day of Data Privacy Week, saying Californians can now request permanent removal of their personal information from more than 500 registered data brokers.
"That's why the Delete Act is such a big deal," Tom Kemp said, calling the law "the strongest privacy protection law anywhere in the nation." Becker described the DROP (delete request and opt-out platform) tool as "an easy-to-use, one stop shop" and said more than 150,000 Californians had already signed up.
The officials said the process begins at privacy.ca.gov/drop, where residents verify their California residency and submit a request. Under the timeline they described, data brokers will begin processing those requests on Aug. 1. Once processing begins, brokers will have 45 days to act and are required to keep deleting newly collected data going forward, officials said — framing the obligation as ongoing rather than a one-time opt out.
The announcement framed the platform as a change in who controls the digital economy: "away from these unknown data brokers ... and back to you," Becker said. Kemp and Becker both emphasized that legal protections are only one piece of data security; they urged Californians to take practical steps such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication and limiting tracking.
The announcement did not provide a statutory citation beyond the name "Delete Act," nor did the officials offer detailed enforcement rules or a public list of the 500+ registered data brokers in this briefing. Officials directed residents to the DROP web portal for submission and verification, and to the California Privacy Protection Agency for additional information and future updates.
The next concrete implementation step the officials announced is Aug. 1, when registered data brokers are to begin processing DROP requests; the agency said brokers will have 45 days to comply with each request and must continue to delete new data collected thereafter.
