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Delete your data from data brokers: California DROP and Google
How to make data brokers delete your records with California's free DROP portal, and how Google's Results about you removes your phone and address.
Scammers rarely guess who you are. Names, addresses, phone numbers and emails usually come from breaches and from data brokers, companies that buy, combine and resell personal profiles. Two free tools help shrink that exposure: California's public DROP portal and Google's Results about you, which works far beyond California.
What is California's DROP?
The Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, created by the Delete Act and run by CalPrivacy, lets a California resident send one request that reaches every registered data broker. Consumers could sign up from January 1, 2026, and brokers had to start processing requests on August 1, 2026, according to Byte Back. In June, CalPrivacy reported more than 300,000 sign-ups and a record 581 registered brokers. It is free.
How do you use DROP?
- Go to privacy.ca.gov/drop and accept the terms.
- Verify California residency by entering your details or through Login.gov; request a review if it fails.
- Add at least one email or mobile number plus basic details so brokers can match your records.
- Submit and save your DROP ID to track status (Malwarebytes).
What must brokers do?
| Duty | Rule |
|---|---|
| Check DROP | At least every 45 days |
| Delete | Within 90 days |
| Unresolved request | Treated at minimum as an opt-out |
| Re-collection | Keep suppression lists |
| Penalty | From $200 per day per unmet request |
What does DROP not cover?
Government-published public records and data governed by other laws, such as financial and health rules, are exempt; businesses covered by the FCRA or HIPAA need not register. It does not touch your credit file. Residents of other states must still contact brokers one by one.
How do you remove your phone and address from Google?
Results about you scans Search for your phone, home address and email, and alerts you to new matches. Removal hides results from Search but does not delete the source page, and news, government and education sites are generally kept.
What to do now
- Californians: file a DROP request and keep the ID.
- Everyone: turn on Results about you alerts.
- Run a security checkup.
- If your identity was misused, follow our IdentityTheft.gov and credit freeze guide.
- See US privacy laws.
Fuente
- CalPrivacy — 300,000 Californians sign up for DROP (jun. 2026)
- Byte Back — California's DROP is live
- Malwarebytes — Californians can tell data brokers to DROP their information
- Google — Find and remove personal contact info in Search results