• 2 min read
California’s DROP data deletion tool becomes enforceable
California’s DROP platform becomes enforceable Aug. 1, giving residents one request to stop registered data brokers from selling their information.
Image: Hacker News
California’s Delete Request Opt-out Platform (DROP) becomes enforceable on Aug. 1, requiring registered data brokers to honor deletion requests submitted through the state-run system.
The online tool lets California residents ask multiple data brokers to stop selling their personal information through a single request, rather than contacting each company individually. About 350,000 Californians have signed up through the DROP website since Jan. 1.
Tom Kemp of Cal Privacy told NBC 7 Responds that data collected through online shopping, streaming and browsing can be packaged into digital profiles and sold. The information has traditionally supported targeted advertising, but Kemp said it can also be exploited by hackers.
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“We oftentimes are the product, our information, our data is the product that people collect, package up into digital dossiers and sell.”
How DROP requests work
California has roughly 600 registered data brokers, according to the report. DROP is intended to replace the need for residents to submit separate requests to each company.
“The alternative is you would have to contact 600 companies and say, please delete my information. And who’s got time for that?”
Starting Aug. 1, data brokers will have 45 days to process requests submitted through DROP. The 45-day processing period applies again to new requests. Companies that fail to comply can face fines of $200 per day for each affected Californian.
A Cal Privacy representative said the agency has a dedicated team to enforce residents' requests. The agency also told NBC 7 Responds that it has already fined 12 data brokers tens of thousands of dollars each for failing to register in the DROP system.
DROP is available only to California residents, and the tool will not erase every piece of personal information that exists online. The agency advises consumers to remain alert for scams and continue taking other steps to protect their data. More information is available at privacy.ca.gov/drop.
Security Editor
Sophia unpacks the invisible wars happening on our networks. Covering cybersecurity, privacy legislation, and cryptography, she exposes how our data is weaponized and defended. Before joining for(geeks), she spent years as a penetration tester. She's the reason the rest of the team uses physical security keys.
via Hacker News
