Newsom unveils DROP, new tool letting Californians block data brokers from selling data

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Privacy Protection Agency have announced a new privacy tool allowing Californians to easily opt out of the sale of their information by data brokers.

The Delete Request and Opt-out Platform — known as DROP — was made possible by SB 362 (Sen. Josh Becker), the Delete Act, which Newsom signed in 2023.

As of Jan. 1, Californians can submit a single deletion request to registered data brokers through DROP. The tool quickly verifies the user’s California residency and then transmits the deletion request to data brokers. Under the Delete Act, data brokers must start processing deletion requests on Aug. 1, 2026.

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