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🗑️ California's DROP: Delete Yourself From 600+ Data Brokers With One Request
The Delete Act created the first system in the world that erases you from hundreds of data brokers at once — free, for California residents. Here's how it works, the August 1 2026 deadline that matters, and what everyone else can do while the model spreads.
Key findings
DROP (the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform) lets California residents delete their data from over 600 registered data brokers with a single free request — the first system of its kind in the world, run by CalPrivacy under the 2023 Delete Act. The date that matters: data brokers must begin processing deletion requests on August 1, 2026, then re-check the platform every 45 days. Non-compliance risks fines up to $200 per day per consumer. It's free — the CCPA bars charging for privacy rights, so anyone charging for "DROP access" is not legitimate. Exemptions apply: data collected directly from you, public records, and information under HIPAA/FCRA/GLBA. Only California has one-request universal deletion; Vermont, Texas, and Oregon have broker registries (useful for finding brokers) but no deletion platform, and Connecticut is the first to copy the DROP model, arriving 2027. Across five state registries there are roughly 750 unique broker groups. For Californians, DROP is the free first step before any paid service; for everyone else, per-broker opt-outs remain the route until the model spreads.
For years, removing yourself from data brokers meant filing opt-out after opt-out, one company at a time, forever. California just changed that — one request now reaches over 600 brokers. This is the most significant consumer data-removal development in years, and the deadline that activates it is days away. Here's exactly how to use it, and what to do if you're not in California.
By Ned Walsch · Last updated July 2026 · Not legal advice
What DROP actually is
DROP — the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform — is a free, state-run system that lets California residents delete their personal information from over 600 registered data brokers with a single request. It's administered by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) under the Delete Act (SB 362, 2023), and it launched for consumers in January 2026.
The shift it represents is real. The old way to get out of the data-broker industry was to file separate opt-outs, broker by broker, hundreds of times — and then repeat it when they re-listed you. DROP replaces that with one request that reaches every registered broker at once. It is, as CalPrivacy puts it, the first platform of its kind in the world.
How it works, step by step
What it can and can't delete
DROP is powerful against the commercial data-resale market, but the Delete Act carves out specific exemptions. Knowing them keeps your expectations accurate:
| DROP deletes | DROP does NOT delete (exempt) |
|---|---|
| Data brokers bought/aggregated about you without your direct involvement | Data a broker collected directly from you |
| Your profile on people-search and data-resale sites (if registered) | Publicly available government records |
| The shadowy secondary market in your personal information | Data needed for a criminal or civil investigation |
| Information under HIPAA, FCRA, or GLBA (health, credit, financial) |
In short: DROP reduces your commercial data-broker footprint — the part of your exposure you never consented to — but it doesn't erase you from public court records or your bank's files. That's a reasonable line, but it is a line.
DROP vs paid removal services (Optery, DeleteMe)
This is the question that saves you money, so here's the honest version. These solve overlapping problems differently:
The national picture: who has what
Five states now require data brokers to register. But registration and deletion are different things — and only California has the deletion part solved:
| State | Broker registry? | One-request deletion? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ✅ Yes (two registries) | ✅ DROP — the only one live | Delete Act; processing from Aug 1, 2026 |
| Vermont | ✅ Yes (2018, the pioneer) | ❌ No | Registry is a transparency tool only |
| Texas | ✅ Yes (2023) | ❌ No | AG-led enforcement, settlements on record |
| Oregon | ✅ Yes (2023) | ❌ No | Broad definition, large registry |
| Connecticut | ✅ Yes (2026) | 🔜 DROP-style, from 2027 | First state to copy California's model |
Across these registries there are roughly 750 unique broker groups once you account for companies registering in multiple states. The trajectory is unmistakable: states are moving from mere registration toward California's universal-deletion model. Connecticut is the first follower; more will come. But as of 2026, California is meaningfully ahead of everyone else, and there is no federal data-broker opt-out law to fall back on.
Not in California? Here's your route
You can't use DROP, but you're not without options. The practical approach:
- Hit the biggest people-search sites directly. Most casual snooping and real-world harm comes from a relatively small number of large sites. Opting out of the top ten or fifteen removes you from the sources that matter most — our removal guide walks through them with direct opt-out links.
- Use the state registries to find brokers. Vermont, Oregon, and Texas publish registries so you can identify the full list of registered brokers to work through.
- Consider a paid service for the volume. Manual opt-outs are tedious and brokers re-list you, so ongoing removal is a recurring chore — a subscription service handles it across many brokers if that's more than you want to take on.
Frequently asked questions
What is California's DROP?
DROP — the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform — is a free, state-run system that lets California residents delete their personal information from over 600 registered data brokers with a single request. It's run by the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) and it launched for consumers in January 2026 under the Delete Act (Senate Bill 362, passed in 2023). Instead of filing dozens or hundreds of separate opt-out requests broker by broker — the old, exhausting way — you submit one request through DROP and it reaches every registered broker at once. It is the first system of its kind in the world, and it is genuinely a major shift in how much control an ordinary person has over the data-broker industry. The consumer portal is at consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov.
When does DROP actually start deleting my data?
This is the critical date: registered data brokers must begin processing DROP deletion requests on August 1, 2026. The platform opened for consumers to submit requests earlier in 2026, but the brokers' obligation to act on those requests begins on that August date, after which they must check the platform regularly — every 45 days — and delete the data of anyone who has requested it. So if you're a California resident, submitting your request now means you're in the queue for when processing begins. Brokers that fail to comply face penalties, including fines that can reach $200 per day per consumer for violations. It's worth submitting early rather than waiting.
Who can use DROP — is it only for Californians?
As of 2026, DROP is only for California residents. It's built on California's Delete Act, so the deletion right it enforces applies to Californians. If you live in another state, you can't use DROP itself — but the picture is not hopeless, and it's changing. Vermont, Oregon, and Texas all have data-broker registration laws, which means those states publish registries you can use to identify which brokers hold data, even though none of them yet offers a one-request deletion platform like DROP. And the model is spreading: Connecticut became the first state to follow California's lead, enacting a DROP-style single-request deletion mechanism (its registration requirement takes effect January 1, 2027). For non-Californians right now, the practical route is still per-broker opt-outs — but the California model is clearly becoming the template other states copy.
How is DROP different from paid removal services like Optery or DeleteMe?
They solve overlapping problems in different ways, and understanding the overlap saves you money. DROP is free, government-run, and covers 600+ brokers registered in California with a single request — but only those registered brokers, only for California residents, and only on the government's timeline. Paid services like Optery and DeleteMe are subscriptions that continuously monitor and re-remove your data across a broader set of people-search sites, including some that aren't in California's registry, and they keep doing it on an ongoing basis because brokers often re-list you after a removal. The honest framing: if you're a California resident, DROP should be your first step because it's free and broad — do that before paying anyone. A paid service then makes sense if you want coverage of brokers outside the registry, ongoing re-removal without lifting a finger, or you live outside California and can't use DROP at all. Start with the free option; pay only for what it doesn't cover.
What information can DROP delete, and what's exempt?
DROP covers the personal information data brokers hold about you, but the Delete Act carves out specific exemptions, and it's worth knowing them so your expectations are accurate. Information that is generally exempt from deletion includes: data the broker collected directly from you (as opposed to buying it from elsewhere), publicly available government records, information needed to respond to a criminal or civil investigation, and data protected under other federal laws such as HIPAA (health), the FCRA (credit reporting), and GLBA (financial). In practice this means DROP is powerful against the shadowy resale market — the brokers who bought and aggregated your data without your knowledge — but it does not erase you from, say, public court records or your bank's files. That's a reasonable line, but it's a line: DROP reduces the commercial data-broker footprint, not your entire existence in records.
How do I actually submit a DROP request?
You go to the consumer portal at consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov and submit a deletion request, which involves verifying your identity so that brokers delete the right person's data (and so someone can't request deletion of your data maliciously). Because it's a government platform, it's free — the CCPA prohibits charging consumers to exercise privacy rights, so anyone asking you to pay for DROP access is not legitimate. Once submitted and verified, your request is provided to all registered data brokers, who must process it starting August 1, 2026 and re-check the platform every 45 days thereafter. Keep a record of your submission. And be aware that DROP handles the registered brokers automatically — for any broker not in California's registry, or if you want faster or broader coverage, per-broker opt-outs (or a paid service) remain the supplement.
Which states have data-broker laws, and are more coming?
Five states currently require data brokers to register: California (under two authorities — the Attorney General's legacy registry and the newer CalPrivacy Delete Act registry), Vermont (the pioneer, 2018), Texas, Oregon, and now Connecticut. Across these registries there are roughly 750 unique data-broker groups once you account for the heavy cross-registration (the same companies register in multiple states). But registration is not the same as deletion. Only California, through DROP, currently offers a single-request universal deletion mechanism. Vermont, Oregon, and Texas registries are transparency tools — they let you see who the brokers are — but you still have to opt out of each one individually. Connecticut is the first to copy California's stronger model, with its DROP-style mechanism arriving as its law takes effect in 2027. The clear national trajectory is from mere registration toward California-style universal deletion, but for now California is meaningfully ahead of everyone else.
If I'm not in California, what should I do right now?
Use the state registries to identify brokers, then opt out of the significant ones directly — and consider whether a paid service is worth it for the volume. Start with the biggest people-search sites, which are where most casual snooping and a lot of harm originates: the ones this site covers in its removal guide. Each has its own opt-out process, and while it's tedious, hitting the top ten or fifteen removes you from the sources that matter most. Vermont, Oregon, and Texas publish registries that help you find the full list of registered brokers to work through. If doing it manually is more than you want to take on — and for many people it is, because brokers re-list you and it becomes a recurring chore — a subscription removal service handles the ongoing work across a wide set of brokers. The federal picture offers no help yet: there is no national data-broker opt-out law as of 2026, so the protections remain state-specific, and California's are the strongest.