California’s Free Data Deletion Program Is Finally Working — And Millions of Records Are Already Gone
Your personal information is probably floating around the internet right now — and you may have never given permission for some of it to be there.
Names, phone numbers, email addresses, birthdays and other personal details are collected by companies known as data brokers, which can buy, compile and sell information about consumers.
Now, California residents have a free way to fight back.
California Wants to Help You Delete Your Personal Information
The California Privacy Protection Agency, also known as CalPrivacy, has launched DROP, short for Delete Request and Opt-out Platform.
The program allows California residents to submit one request asking participating data brokers to delete their personal information.
Tom Kemp, executive director of CalPrivacy, says DROP gives residents a way to take back some control over their digital footprint.
And the program appears to be gaining momentum.
More than 425,000 Californians have already registered, and data brokers began processing deletion requests in early August. According to Kemp, roughly 15,000 to 20,000 people are now signing up every day.
Even more impressive: more than 8 million records were reportedly deleted within the first few days of processing.
How Does DROP Work?
Signing up is free, and the program is funded through registration fees paid by data brokers rather than directly by taxpayers.
To get started, visit the official California Privacy Protection Agency website.
You'll first need to verify that you're a California resident. The standard verification process uses basic information along with a phone number or email address. There's also an optional Login.gov verification method that may require additional identification.
Once you're verified, you can provide information such as:
- Your name
- Date of birth
- ZIP code
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
You can also provide optional information about your phone, connected TV or vehicle to help data brokers find additional records associated with you.
Once you've submitted your information, data brokers are required to check DROP and process deletion requests on a rolling 45-day cycle.
What Happens If a Company Doesn't Delete Your Information?
This is one of the biggest differences between California's program and many commercial data-removal services.
DROP isn't simply asking companies nicely.
Companies that fail to comply can face fines of $200 per day for each California resident whose information they fail to delete.
That could add up quickly.
The idea is to make it harder for data brokers to continue holding onto massive collections of personal information that could potentially be used by marketers, scammers and identity thieves.
Don't Forget Your DROP ID
Once you sign up, make sure you save your DROP ID.
That ID can be used to track the status of your requests and see which data brokers have deleted your information.
There are a few limitations, though. DROP cannot remove information from the dark web, and certain public records may still remain available online.
The program is also currently limited to California residents, although other states are considering similar approaches.
Still, if you're tired of spam, unwanted marketing and the feeling that your personal information is everywhere online, California's free DROP program could be worth a few minutes of your time.
Your information is already out there. Now California is giving you a free way to start taking some of it back.
