Type your name into a people search site and you may see your street address, an old phone number and the names of relatives. You never signed up for that. California now runs a free government tool called DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform. It sends one deletion request to every registered data broker in the state. Here is how to prepare and what to expect.
Before you file: what to prepare
- Confirm you are a California resident. DROP is open only to residents. A parent or family member may file for a child or an elderly relative.
- Gather the details you want matched: past addresses, other email addresses and former phone numbers. You choose how much to give, and the state says more detail makes a match more likely.
- Set aside ten minutes. The state says sign-up generally takes less than that.
- Submit one request at privacy.ca.gov/drop. Do not use a link from a text, call or ad.
- Log in to your profile to check status. A first update can take up to 90 days, and timing varies by broker.
- Keep expectations modest. The state says results vary and take time.
What data brokers and people search sites are
Data brokers collect, combine and sell personal information about people they have no direct relationship with. Often those people do not know it is happening. People search sites are one visible piece of that trade. According to FTC consumer guidance, these sites sell personal information that can include details about where you live and who you know.
You rarely get a notice when a profile is built. Before DROP, a Californian who wanted a profile deleted had to contact each broker one by one. The California Consumer Privacy Act already gave residents a right to request deletion from individual companies. DROP makes that right easier to use.
California's DROP platform: who can use it
DROP is run by the California Privacy Protection Agency and was created under the Delete Act (SB 362), signed in 2023. It opened for consumer submissions on January 1, 2026. The state says it is free and will never charge to use it.
Only California residents are eligible. The sources I reviewed describe DROP only for California, so they do not say whether residents of other states have an equivalent single-request tool. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse keeps a data broker database built from five state registries, including California, Texas, Oregon and Vermont. It lists more than 750 brokers. That may help you see which companies could hold records on you, even if you cannot use DROP.
How the process works
First, you verify your residency through the California Identity Gateway. You do not need a Gateway account. You can enter details directly or sign in with Login.gov, and the state says DROP does not retain that information. Next, you create a profile with basic information. You decide how much to provide. Then you submit one request, and it goes to all registered brokers.
Timing matters. Requests filed before August 1, 2026 were queued. From that date, the state says brokers must check DROP at least once every 45 days and begin processing deletions. A vendor summary also reports fines of $200 per request per day for noncompliance. Treat that fine figure with care, since it comes from one vendor page.
In an August 25, 2026 announcement, the state said more than 500,000 Californians had registered and 654 data brokers were in the system. About 25 percent of brokers had reported processing deletion requests, and brokers reported deleting tens of millions of records. That also means about three in four brokers had not yet reported processing any requests.
What removal can and cannot change
The state names three hoped-for benefits: less exposure of your personal information, possibly fewer unwanted calls, texts and emails, and lower risk of identity theft and targeted fraud. Deleting data may also mean fewer personalized ads. None of this is guaranteed.
Some limits are not spelled out in the sources I reviewed. They do not detail what brokers may legally keep after a deletion request. They also do not explain how to confirm a broker has actually deleted your data beyond the DROP status page. And they do not say whether removal affects credit reports or scores. Credit reporting is a separate system, so ask the credit bureaus directly if that is your concern.
Federal rules and the gaps
No single federal portal like DROP appears in the sources. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau withdrew a December 2024 proposed rule that would have brought many data brokers under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A Legal 500 summary says the withdrawal notice was published May 15, 2025. I could not confirm it against the Federal Register itself, so check the primary notice if the date matters to you. Under the withdrawal, the FCRA applies only to traditional consumer reporting agencies and their defined activities. State and other federal laws still apply.
The sources also do not give step-by-step opt-out instructions for individual people search sites. If you are outside California, your options may be to look at other state registries or contact individual brokers one at a time.
Scams to watch for while you opt out
The state says DROP is free, so anyone asking you to pay to file a request deserves suspicion. Some companies may promise to remove data for a fee without doing the work. The FTC guidance cited here warns about similar scam patterns, including calls that impersonate organizations. It covers people search sites, not DROP specifically. A call, text or email that threatens arrest or demands payment is likely a scam.
One habit helps most. Go to the official site yourself and type the address. If someone contacts you first about your records, hang up and check your DROP profile instead.
