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California DROP: how to delete your data from every data broker at once

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DROP is California's free Delete Request and Opt-out Platform: one request tells more than 600 registered data brokers to delete your personal information and stop selling it. Go to consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov, verify you live in California, add the details brokers should match, and submit. Since August 1, 2026, brokers must process requests at least every 45 days.

It's run by the California Privacy Protection Agency under the Delete Act. We're not affiliated with it; every step below is from the agency's own pages, checked in October 2026.

Step by step

  1. Open the official site: consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov and choose “Get started with DROP”. Type the address yourself; DROP is free and lookalike sites may charge.
  2. Verify you're a California resident through the California Identity Gateway. You can type your details or sign in with Login.gov; the agency suggests Login.gov only if you already have an account. Your verification details aren't kept by DROP.
  3. Build your profile. You choose how much to share. The more identifiers you add (other emails, phone numbers, and optional ones like your phone's advertising ID, your car's VIN or a TV ID), the more likely brokers find you.
  4. Submit. One request goes to every registered data broker. Save the 8-digit DROP ID you receive; you'll need it to check status.
  5. Track it at consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov/dropstatus. Each broker reports back; updates can take up to 90 days.
  6. Update your profile if you see “record not found” or change phone or email. You can edit it once every 45 days.

If verification fails

Check every field and try again. If you get “Unable to verify”, use the link to request a review of your eligibility, give basic residency information, and the agency answers by email.

What DROP deletes, and what it doesn't

Brokers must delete what they got from others, including what they bought from a store or app you used:

  • Social Security number, precise location, browsing history, emails and phone numbers
  • Health-related data, and the inferences drawn from any of it

DROP doesn't delete:

  • Public records: property, vehicle ownership and voting records.
  • What you gave a company directly (a store, a streaming service). Ask that company with a privacy request.
  • Data covered by other laws: credit reports (FCRA), financial data under GLBA, patient data under HIPAA, and data held for investigations.

One side effect the agency mentions: you may see fewer personalized ads or recommendations.

Do this too

  • Ask Google to drop search results that show your phone, address or email with “Results about you”, and opt out of people-search sites DROP doesn't reach; both are in how to remove your information from the internet.
  • DROP doesn't touch credit reports. To stop new accounts in your name, freeze your credit at all six bureaus.
  • Paying for a removal service on top of DROP? Check which brokers it covers that aren't registered in California before you pay.

Sources: California Privacy Protection Agency: DROP, Help with DROP and Personal information and data brokers, consulted October 22, 2026.

Questions people ask

Is California's DROP free?

Yes. The California Privacy Protection Agency says it will never charge you to use DROP. Be wary of any site that asks for payment to file a DROP request for you.

How long does DROP take to remove my data?

Since August 1, 2026, registered data brokers must check DROP at least every 45 days and delete matching records. Status updates can take up to 90 days to appear, and brokers were expected to finish their first full cycle by November 2026.

Can I use DROP if I don't live in California?

No. DROP is only for California residents, and residency is verified before you can submit. Outside California, you can still opt out of each data broker yourself or use a paid removal service.

What does “record not found” mean in DROP?

The data broker couldn't match your request to anything in its records. That can mean it has nothing on you, or that it holds your data under details you didn't include. Adding other emails, phone numbers or identifiers can help.

Can I submit a DROP request for my parent or child?

Yes, with their permission. You must verify the California residency of the person the request is for, for example a parent submitting for a child or a family member for an elderly relative.