Editor’s note: This article originally published on January 23, 2026. It was updated on July 31st in advance of the date when data brokers will begin processing California resident’s requests to delete their personal information.
Spam calls from unknown numbers. Promotional emails from marketing lists you don’t remember signing up for. Personalized ads selling you dresses after a morning of online shopping.
Everytime you peruse the internet, your name, email, home address, phone number, and location is tracked, and it’s often sold. To fight that, California has deployed a new service — the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP — that allows residents to ask data brokers in the state to stop selling their personal information.