California Launches DROP, a Centralized Platform to Delete Personal Data from Data Brokers

JAKARTA - The California State Government officially launched the Delete Requests and Opt-Out Platform (DROP), a platform that allows citizens to request the deletion of their personal data from hundreds of data brokerage companies (data brokers) at once.

On the official website of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), the presence of DROP aims to strengthen privacy protection and give people more control over their own personal data.

In fact, since 2020, California residents have had the right to ask companies to stop collecting and selling personal data. However, the process is very complicated and must be done one by one to each company.

Through the Delete Act, which was passed in 2023, this state seeks to simplify the mechanism with one centralized request, one of which is the presence of this DROP online platform.

Through DROP, residents can submit a single deletion request that will be forwarded to more than 500 registered data brokers, including data brokers that will be registered in the future.

DROP officially launched on January 1, 2026 and allows California residents to start submitting data deletion requests. Starting August 1, 2026, data brokers are required to process these requests within a 90-day deadline.

DROP only applies to data brokers who buy or sell personal data, not companies that collect data directly from their users (first-party data).

The types of data that can be requested to be deleted include social security numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, browsing history, location data, and children's data.

CARA reminds that the deletion of this personal information will affect certain online experiences. For example, you may receive fewer targeted advertisements or personalized content.