Consumers Affected
500,000
The California Privacy Protection Agency announced that more than 500,000 Californians have registered for the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) since its January 1, 2026 launch. After the August 1, 2026 deadline for brokers to begin processing requests, 654 data brokers are in the system and approximately 25% have reported processing deletion requests, with tens of millions of records already deleted. No enforcement action has been announced yet; the agency warned that brokers who fail to delete eligible personal information face significant fines.
Data brokers registered on DROP must match and delete eligible personal information of registered consumers or face significant fines, and must report deletion processing to the agency. As of the August 1, 2026 compliance deadline, approximately 25% of the 654 registered brokers had reported processing deletion requests, and the typical DROP user has had their information removed by over 40 brokers. No individual enforcement action, penalty, or injunction has been imposed to date.
In-house teams should inventory which vendors, ad-tech partners, lead sellers, and data providers qualify as 'data brokers' under California's Delete Act and verify each is registered on the CPPA data broker registry and actively processing DROP deletion requests. Data sharing, data licensing, and audience/lead-purchase agreements should be updated to require counterparties to honor deletion requests transmitted through DROP, certify completion within statutory deadlines, and flow down Delete Act and Opt Me Out Act obligations. Vendor and customer contracts should include deletion certification, deletion status reporting, audit rights, and indemnification for fines arising from a broker's failure to delete, and companies should map any employee or customer personal information supplied to brokers so consumer deletion requests can be propagated downstream.
Entity
Data brokers registered on California's DROP platform (654)
Industry
Data Broker"August 25, 2026"
"More than 500,000 Californians have registered."
"654 data brokers are now part of the system"
"California Consumer Privacy Act, Delete Act, and Opt Me Out Act"
"Data brokers must delete eligible personal information of the individuals who signed up for DROP or face significant fines."
"have already reported deletion of tens of millions of records"
CalPrivacy (the California Privacy Protection Agency) issued Enforcement Advisory 2026-01 warning data brokers that providing incorrect information in their annual registration with California's data broker registry carries liability of a $200 fine per day. The advisory observes that the Enforcement Division has already brought multiple enforcement actions over reporting errors, and emphasizes that accurate registry disclosures are what make the newly launched Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) work for Californians. No specific company was named and no penalty was imposed by the advisory itself; it functions as forward-looking guidance.
$36K
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board issued a Decision and Final Stipulated Order requiring Virginia-based data broker SalesIntel Research, Inc. to pay a $36,400 fine for operating as a data broker without registering by the 2025 deadline under the Delete Act. SalesIntel sells consumer personal information, including more than 200 million professional contacts and de-anonymized website traffic data, for targeted advertising. In addition to the fine, the company must post privacy rights metrics on its website, integrate with CalPrivacy's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), and process future deletion requests through that system.
$52K
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board issued an Order of Decision and Stipulated Final Order requiring Boston-based data broker Cybba, Inc. to pay a $52,400 fine for failing to register with the Agency's Data Broker Registry by the 2025 deadline, as required by the Delete Act. The order also requires Cybba to post metrics about privacy rights on its website, access the Agency's Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP), and process future deletion requests through that system. This is CalPrivacy's second data broker enforcement action announced in less than a week, following its action against LocateSmarter.
$116K
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board issued a decision and stipulated order requiring Iowa data broker LocateSmarter LLC to pay $116,490 and change its practices. The company failed to timely register as a data broker and unlawfully required Californians to provide the last four digits of their Social Security numbers before exercising opt-out rights, violating the CCPA's data minimization requirements. This is the first action against a data broker under both the CCPA and the Delete Act.
The California Privacy Protection Agency announced that over 300,000 Californians have signed up for the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) since its launch five months ago. The Data Broker Registry now includes 581 registered data brokers, the highest number since the registry was established in 2020. Beginning August 1, 2026, all data brokers will be required to access DROP and process deletion requests.
$12.8M
CalPrivacy and the California Attorney General secured a $12.75 million settlement from General Motors for data sharing practices from connected vehicles. The settlement includes injunctive terms to change business practices.