A New Era for California Residents: Easing the Fight Against Data Brokers
As of August 2023, California residents have had the right to demand that companies stop collecting and selling their personal information. However, let’s face it, the process was a major pain in the neck. You had to opt-out with each individual company, one by one. But, thank goodness, a new tool has been launched to make things a whole lot easier.
Introducing the Delete Requests and Opt-Out Platform (DROP), which allows residents to make a single request to over 500 registered data brokers to delete their information. This is all thanks to the Delete Act, passed in 2023, which aimed to simplify the process. Now, Californians can confirm they’re a resident and submit a deletion request, which will be sent to all current and future data brokers registered with the state.
But, let’s not get too excited just yet. Data brokers will have until August 2026 to start processing requests, and then they’ll have 90 days to actually delete the data. If they don’t, you’ll have the option to submit more information to help them find your data. And, of course, there are some exceptions. Firms can still keep first-party data they’ve collected from customers, for example. It’s only data brokers who are looking to buy or sell that data – think social security numbers, shopping history, email addresses, phone numbers, and more – that will be required to delete it.
Some data, like car registration and voter data, is exempt from deletion because it comes from public records. And other info, like sensitive medical data, may be covered under different laws like HIPAA.
The California Privacy Protection Agency believes that this new tool will give residents more control over their data and lead to fewer “unwanted texts, calls, or emails” and a lower risk of identity theft, fraud, AI impersonations, or that your data is leaked or hacked.
And, as a friendly reminder, the penalty for data brokers who fail to register or fail to delete requested client data is a whopping $200 per day, plus enforcement costs.
So, if you’re a California resident looking to take back control of your data, now’s the time to get dropping!
