California Promotes Data Deletion Rights Through Delete Week

California’s Privacy Protection Agency has launched its first Delete Week, a statewide initiative running October 12–16, 2026, to educate residents about their privacy rights. The campaign promotes the state’s free Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which allows Californians to submit a single deletion request to more than 660 registered data brokers.

Key Takeaways

• CalPrivacy launched its first Delete Week on October 12, 2026, with educational activities and public outreach continuing through October 16
• DROP allows California residents to submit one free deletion request to more than 660 registered data brokers
• More than 560,000 Californians have registered for DROP since its January 1, 2026, launch
• Data brokers have reported deleting nearly 100 million consumer profiles, with 99.9% of users receiving at least one reported deletion
• CalPrivacy is introducing educational resources, a quarterly newsletter and guidance for checking deletion status or recovering DROP IDs

California Launches Its First Delete Week Initiative

The California Privacy Protection Agency, known as CalPrivacy, launched its inaugural Delete Week on October 12 to raise awareness of consumer privacy rights and available tools for managing personal information.

CalPrivacy Executive Director Tom Kemp said the campaign aims to make privacy protections more accessible. The agency is encouraging residents to learn how data brokers collect and use personal information, submit deletion requests and review their results.

The five-day initiative combines social media outreach, educational resources and media engagements across California. It also highlights the state’s efforts to make existing consumer privacy protections easier to exercise.

DROP Gives Residents a Centralized Data Deletion Tool

California’s Delete Request and Opt-out Platform is a free state service that allows eligible residents to submit a single deletion request to more than 660 registered data brokers. According to CalPrivacy, completing a request typically takes less than 10 minutes.

Previously, Californians seeking to remove their information from multiple brokers generally had to contact each company individually. DROP simplifies the process by providing one centralized system.

Data brokers gather personal information from various sources and may combine records into profiles used for advertising, analytics and other commercial purposes. Understanding how third parties collect personal data helps explain why consumer information can circulate among multiple organizations.

Under California’s Delete Act, registered data brokers began processing DROP requests on August 1, 2026. Brokers must process applicable requests and continue checking for matching personal information at least every 45 days, subject to legal exceptions.

DROP applies to registered data brokers rather than every organization holding consumer information. Deletion results also depend on whether brokers possess matching records and whether the information qualifies for removal under applicable law.

CalPrivacy Reports More Than 560,000 DROP Registrations

More than 560,000 Californians have registered for DROP since its January 1, 2026, launch, according to CalPrivacy’s October 12 announcement. The agency also reported that data brokers had deleted nearly 100 million consumer profiles through the platform.

CalPrivacy said 99.9% of users had received a report indicating that at least one broker deleted their personal information. A typical user had received deletion reports from more than 150 brokers.

These figures measure different aspects of platform activity. Registrations represent individual users, while the consumer-profile total reflects reported deletions across multiple data brokers.

The nearly 100 million reported deletions therefore do not represent an equivalent number of unique Californians whose information has been removed. Individual results can also vary depending on which brokers hold matching records and whether legal exemptions apply.

The figures provide an early measure of DROP adoption and reported broker activity following the start of mandatory deletion processing in August.

State Privacy Campaign Expands Public Education Activities

Delete Week includes educational videos, practical privacy tips, social media resources and media engagements designed to explain consumer privacy rights and the data deletion process.

CalPrivacy is also introducing CalPrivacy Quarterly, an external newsletter providing updates on agency activities and privacy-related developments. Residents can subscribe through the agency’s official website.

California’s wider privacy agenda includes workplace neural data protections. Assembly Bill 1883, signed into law on September 30, 2026, addresses certain employer uses of AI-powered surveillance tools that collect neural data or analyze workers’ emotional states. Those provisions concern workplace technology, while DROP focuses on personal information held by registered data brokers.

CalPrivacy has also developed a public DROP sharing toolkit containing downloadable graphics, suggested messages and educational materials. Individuals and community organizations can use these resources to help residents understand the service and their available privacy rights.

Californians Can Review Deletion Status and Recover DROP IDs

Residents who have already submitted requests can use their DROP ID to review deletion reports through the official platform.

CalPrivacy’s guidance explains several possible status categories, including deleted, exempt, opted-out, record not found and pending. Status reports can take up to 90 days to appear, depending on brokers’ processing schedules.

Users who have misplaced their identifiers can access the platform’s DROP ID recovery service. Those who provided an email address during registration can request assistance through that address.

CalPrivacy advises residents to keep their DROP IDs private because these identifiers provide access to their deletion requests. New users can visit the official DROP website to learn about the service and submit a request at no cost.

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