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Data brokers may hold identifying details, account information and advertising identifiers about you—but no single profile is guaranteed to contain the same information as another. If you live in California, the state’s Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) lets you submit one request to registered data brokers. It does not erase every record about you across the internet.
What do data brokers know about you?
For California’s Delete Act, a data broker is a business that knowingly collects and sells personal information about consumers with whom it has no direct relationship. Its profile depends on its sources and business; the categories below are examples, not a universal checklist of what every broker holds. California Privacy Protection Agency guidance on data brokers describes the registration disclosures brokers must provide.
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1. Basic identifying and contact details
A broker may disclose basic identifiers such as your name, email address or phone number. These can help connect records associated with different sources or identify a possible match for a deletion request.
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California’s broker disclosures include login or account information among the types of information brokers may report. That does not mean every broker has your passwords or access to your accounts; the category is broader than any one specific credential.
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3. Mobile advertising identifiers
A mobile advertising ID is a device identifier used for advertising and measurement. California identifies mobile advertising identification numbers as a category brokers may disclose.
4. Other identifiers used to match records
Depending on a broker’s sources, records may include identifiers such as a connected-TV ID or vehicle identification number. California lists these as details consumers can add to a DROP profile to help match records; their availability does not establish that every broker has them.
5. Other personal information tied to a profile
The types and sensitivity of information vary by business. Avoid assuming that every broker has your location history, finances, health information, political views or family details. California’s DROP process covers personal information in registered brokers’ records, but a broker’s individual disclosures and sources determine what it actually holds.
How California DROP works
California launched DROP on January 1, 2026. It allows eligible California consumers to submit one deletion request to registered data brokers through the state platform. In a July 10, 2026 update, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) reported more than 600 active brokers and more than 325,000 consumer sign-ups. Those are agency-reported figures for California’s DROP system, not a nationwide broker count or confirmation that every request has been completed. See CalPrivacy’s DROP explainer.
- Verify California residency. Start on the official California DROP website and complete the state’s residency verification process.
- Create a profile and provide accurate matching details. Enter personal information that can help brokers identify your records. The state says consumers may add details such as email addresses, phone numbers, mobile advertising IDs, connected-TV IDs and vehicle identification numbers. You do not have to provide every optional detail, and you can update your profile later.
- Submit the request and check its progress. A submitted request is sent to registered brokers. CalPrivacy says status updates may take up to 90 days. Starting August 1, 2026, brokers must access DROP at least every 45 days.
Before submitting, read the platform’s terms of use and privacy policy. The state says identifying information is used to facilitate deletion and opt-out requests and may be disclosed to registered brokers. CalPrivacy describes DROP as hashing data for matching and says it does not store or share the raw personal information in that form; that is the agency’s description, not an independent security audit.
What each DROP status means
A status describes what happened to a request at a broker. If a record was not found, California allows you to add information and check again.
- Deleted: The broker matched your request and deleted non-exempt information.
- Exempted: Information may legally remain under an applicable exemption.
- Opted-out: The broker could not make an exact match. It may retain the data, but under this outcome it cannot sell or share it.
- Record not found: The broker may have no record of you, or the details provided may not be enough to match one.
- Pending: The broker has not processed the request yet.
What DROP does not delete
DROP is not a universal internet-erasure service. It applies to covered, non-exempt personal information held by registered data brokers. A match can trigger deletion and continuing duties, but some records are outside the system or may lawfully remain.
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- Information you gave directly to a business: A first-party relationship, such as an account or customer relationship, is outside a DROP deletion request. You can separately send that business a privacy request.
- Publicly available information: Public records, including examples such as ownership or voting records, may remain.
- Legally exempt information: Some information governed by other privacy laws or statutory exceptions may not be deleted through DROP. Do not assume the platform will delete credit-report, regulated health or financial records.
California law also requires brokers to continue deleting a consumer’s information collected again after a request, subject to statutory exceptions. In its July 10, 2026 DROP explainer, CalPrivacy puts it this way: “You only need to submit your DROP request once, and data brokers must ensure your information remains deleted should the data broker collect it again in the future.” That continuing duty is subject to the law’s exceptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you use DROP or contact a business directly?
| Route | What it covers | Effort | Matching and follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| California DROP | Covered records at registered data brokers | One submission to multiple registered brokers | Provide identifying details; check broker status, add information if needed, and allow for processing time |
| Direct privacy request | Records held by the specific broker or business you contact, including information outside DROP when the business handles it directly | Submit a separate request to each company | Follow that company’s identity-verification and request process |
California’s public Data Broker Registry provides broker disclosures and information about consumer privacy-rights requests. California advises consumers to contact a broker directly when appropriate and offers a complaint route for problems exercising rights. For a business where you have a direct relationship, use its privacy-request process rather than expecting DROP to cover those records.
If you live outside California, state privacy rights and procedures vary. This California platform is not a nationwide one-request tool. Check your state regulator’s current official guidance and the privacy-request process of the company holding your information.
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