Feed aggregator

California has launched the Delete Request and Opt‑out Platform (DROP), a state‑run portal that lets residents send deletion and opt‑out requests to all registered data brokers in one place.

DROP was created under California’s Delete Act, which forces data brokers to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) or face fines. Currently over 600 data brokers are in the registry.

Data brokers collect and sell extensive personal information, including financial details, online behaviors, and location data. This data is often gathered without explicit consent, raising concerns about privacy and transparency.

DROP is a state service that sends a standardized deletion/opt‑out request to all data brokers registered with the California Privacy Protection Agency. Starting August 1, 2026, registered data brokers in California are required to access DROP and have 90 days to delete a person’s records after a request.

How to use DROP

You’ll need to provide at least one reachable email address and/or mobile phone to verify your identity and track the request. Be ready to provide basic personal data (name, address, contact details) that brokers are likely to have and that DROP uses to match your records.

• Go to the DROP portal.
• Use the “Get Started” button on the homepage.
• Accept the terms and conditions presented by the platform by using the “I accept” button.
• You’ll need to verify that you are a California resident: you can either input your personal information manually, or authenticate via Login.gov, which allows identity verification through a federal login. If you receive the message “Unable to verify” your status as a California resident, click the link on screen to “Request a review of your eligibility.”
• After residency verification, create a deletion request:
  • Provide your email address and/or phone number to verify contact details.
  • Fill in basic information (name, address, etc.) so brokers can locate your records.
• Submit your request through DROP and you’ll receive a DROP ID that lets you track the status of your request online. Store that number somewhere.

Now, it’s up to the data brokers. They now have 90 days to delete your records and comply with opt‑out obligations. If you run into a problem there is a dedicated help site.

For non-Californians

Some other states—like Oregon, Texas, and Vermont—also require data broker registration, though only California currently offers a centralized platform like DROP. If you live in such a state, check your attorney general’s website or privacy office for a “data broker registry” or opt‑out guidance, and follow their listed processes to submit requests directly to each broker.

Even without DROP, US residents can still reduce data broker collection and sale of their data, but it requires more manual work. Where no centralized government tool exists, you can identify brokers by searching for “data broker opt‑out” and review lists from privacy advocacy groups.

For each broker you’ll have to submit individual requests:

• Use their web forms, email addresses, or postal addresses to request:
  • Deletion of your data, and
  • Opt‑out from sale or sharing of your data.

You’ll need to provide enough information to match your record (e.g., name, address, email, phone) but avoid oversharing additional sensitive data.

It’s advisable to maintain a spreadsheet with dates, brokers, and confirmations. Most privacy laws specify response deadlines, often 30–45 days, though this varies by state.

Sounds like a lot of work? Malwarebytes Personal Data Remover can help.

How to reduce future data broker collection

This is probably the only field where “security by obscurity” works.

Use multiple email addresses where you reserve one for financial/critical accounts and use aliases or disposable emails for newsletters, shopping, and registrations, making it harder for brokers to build a unified profile.

A VPN encrypts your traffic and hides your IP address, reducing the ability of websites and analytics firms to link activity to a stable, location‑based identifier.

For non‑critical services, avoid providing full legal names, exact home addresses, or phone numbers if they’re not strictly necessary. This is especially true for rewards and loyalty programs.

Your name, address, and phone number may already be for sale.  

Data brokers collect and sell your personal details to anyone willing to pay. Malwarebytes Personal Data Remover finds them and gets your information removed, then keeps watch so it stays that way. 

SCAN NOW

If you were ever curious whether a site allows signed crawlers, you can use this tool. This tool respects the website's robots.txt directive.

You will be surprised how many sites allow all robots, but then block crawlers

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161193

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://github.com/pierpaolo28/Awesome-FDE-Roadmap

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161191

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://twitter.com/soztetik/status/2084378696312369236

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161184

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://aydogan.dev/blog/i-dont-write-code-anymore/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161140

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://cieden.com/book/sub-atomic/typography/different-type-scale-types

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161115

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/08/03/the-screen-act-threatens-privacy-far-beyond-adult-websites/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161094

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.minid.net/2026/8/3/the-last-bug-on-earth

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161086

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://productnow.ai/blogs/ai-native-data-integration-without-an-ontology

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161062

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes#retiring-the-dalle-gpt

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161061

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.rickmanelius.com/p/forward-deployed-executives-the-next

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161059

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://twitter.com/Akashi203/status/2084373935454400964

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161056

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://huggingface.co/MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-H3

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161053

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://github.com/mrblakessinger-rgb/paradox-engine-eots

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161048

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/no-new-name-ux/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161036

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.wsj.com/cfo-journal/from-200-loans-to-30-000-birkins-a-pawnshop-chain-serves-the-k-shaped-economy-dcf40a0c

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161034

Points: 1

# Comments: 1

Article URL: https://nextwaveoftech.com/posts/what-i-learned-building-an-agent-first-plugin

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161019

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://www.late-review.com/p/obligatory-one-month-without-socia

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161009

Points: 3

# Comments: 0

Article URL: https://zenodo.org/records/21778592

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49161007

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

The scale of the data center buildout makes no sense. The only thing I can think of is that Sam really latched onto it when there weren't any huge breakthroughs that he could easily achieve.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49160996

Points: 1

# Comments: 2