Help us explore data privacy in California

If you haven’t heard yet, the state is proposing a new way for Californians to protect their data — and we want your help tracking its rollout and effectiveness.

Data brokers are largely unknown companies that make a business out of collecting often sensitive consumer data. This data may include where you and your family are at any time what you buy, what medications are you taking and much more.

Since the beginning of this year, the California Privacy Protection Agency has allowed state residents to sign up for the deletion and opt-out platform, or DROP. The tool allows users to send an instant request to hundreds of data brokers, asking them to delete their data and stop tracking them.

Brokers are required to begin processing these requests in August. We reported for the launch of the tooland as new requests are processed we will continue to monitor the story.

CalMatters and The Markup want to monitor whether data companies are complying with DROP, and that’s where we need your help.

Californians have the right to know about the personal information the business collects about them and to control how it is used and shared. We’ll walk you through how to exercise these rights with some of the biggest data brokers in the country and how to share what they tell you with us. Then, after the OPT deadline, we’ll walk you through how to do it again and help you find out if the information companies have about you has changed, increased, or been deleted.

Ready to get started?

Step 1: If you haven’t already, submit your DROP request

Submit your request here: CA DROP form

If you get stuck, here’s our guide on how to find some of the more difficult data that the DROP form needs from you. Alternatively, you can reply to this email and we can offer some advice.

The submission will send requests to hundreds of data brokers to delete your information and stop tracking you. Brokers are required to process applications from August.

Step 2: Take a screenshot of the DROP dashboard

After submitting your DROP request, you’ll see a dashboard that looks like this:

Take a screenshot. At the top of the page, there will be a unique ID that is only for you. We don’t need it, so don’t include it in the screenshot.

Step 3: Tell us you’re ready for the next step

Now that you have your screenshot, share it with us via this form.

Once you’ve submitted the form, we’ll be in touch with you in a few days about the next steps, and we’ll be here to help you troubleshoot any issues you may encounter along the way.

Thank you for being part of this project. Your participation helps us keep California’s data privacy efforts transparent and accountable.