California Kicks Off Delete Week, Brokers Report Nearly 100M Deletions

Nearly 100 million consumer profiles. That’s how many data brokers have reported deleting through California’s free privacy tool, according to the state’s privacy regulator.^[1]

The California Privacy Protection Agency, known as CalPrivacy, announced the milestone as it launched its first Delete Week.

The campaign runs October 12–16, highlighting DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform. It sends one deletion request to more than 660 data brokers.

“Delete Week is about giving Californians simple, effective, and scalable ways to safeguard their privacy,” CalPrivacy Executive Director Tom Kemp said.

The appeal? You shouldn’t need to track down hundreds of companies just to ask them to stop selling information about you.

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What are these companies selling?

Data brokers gather and sell information about people who haven’t given it to them directly. You may have never visited their websites, created an account, or even heard their names.

Their inventory can go well beyond your phone number. CalPrivacy says brokers collect information such as browsing history, precise location, shopping habits, and health-related details.

They can also use that information to predict your finances, political views, or family life. Those inferences can be deleted, too.

Information you give a retailer or streaming service may reach a broker. DROP can target the broker’s copy, even though it doesn’t automatically delete the information from the business you originally shared it with.

Limiting this trade may help reduce unwanted calls, texts, and emails, and lower your exposure to targeted fraud, according to CalPrivacy. Results vary, and deleting broker records won’t guarantee an end to spam or scams.

The results are big. Read the numbers carefully.

CalPrivacy says a typical DROP user has already had information reported deleted by more than 150 brokers. And 99.9% of users have had at least one broker delete information.

Nearly 100 million deleted profiles doesn’t mean nearly 100 million people. Multiple brokers can hold separate profiles about the same person.

These are also deletions reported by brokers, rather than a claim that every copy of someone’s information has disappeared. One person’s data can be scattered across a laundry list of businesses.

How to submit your free deletion request

DROP is available to California residents. If you qualify, here’s how to get started:

1. Visit the official DROP website. Start at privacy.ca.gov/drop and select “Get started with DROP.”
2. Verify your California residency. The process uses the state’s California Identity Gateway.
3. Enter your matching information. You only need your name, date of birth, and ZIP code to submit a request. Adding email addresses, phone numbers, or optional device and vehicle identifiers can help brokers locate more records.
4. Submit and save your DROP ID. Keep it private. You’ll use it to check progress and update your request.

Expect a wait. Brokers have up to 90 days to report how they processed your request.

After initial processing, they must check for and delete new matching information at least every 45 days. Your request keeps working without you having to resubmit it.

“Record not found” doesn’t mean your data is gone

Your dashboard may show different results from different brokers.

A “deleted” status means the broker removed the non-exempt information it matched to you. “Record not found” can mean it has no information about you, or that the details you supplied weren’t enough to locate it.

Other records may be exempt from deletion. Publicly available information and certain data covered by other laws can fall outside DROP’s deletion requirements.

If a broker can’t find your records, adding another email address or phone number to your DROP request may help it locate and delete them.

What if you don’t live in California?

You can still ask individual brokers and people-search sites to remove your information.

If you’d prefer help handling requests, compare the data removal services we’ve tested. Coverage, follow-up, and custom removal options vary, so check what you’re paying for.

Eligible Californians can start for free with DROP. Submit a request in a few minutes to put hundreds of brokers on notice that your information is no longer theirs to sell.

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Author Details

Thomas Kent

About the Author

Thomas Kent is a multi-disciplined reporter with over a decade of experience covering online platforms, digital trends, and consumer-facing tech. Tom focuses on digital privacy, data tracking, and user behavior, with a particular interest in how cookies, online surveillance, and platform design shape the modern internet experience. His reporting takes a research-driven, news-focused approach, translating complex technical topics into clear, accessible insights.