About Data Delete Now

What We’re Trying to Do

Data Delete Now is working to make personal data privacy simple, practical, and enforceable for everyone — not just people with time, legal knowledge, or technical expertise.

Today, personal data about individuals is routinely collected, packaged, and sold by data brokers. While some laws give people the right to delete their data, the process is often so fragmented and burdensome that those rights are difficult to use in practice.

Our goal is to change that by supporting state-level laws that give people a simple, centralized way to delete their personal data — with one request instead of hundreds.

The Problem with the Current System

Data brokers collect and sell information such as:

• Names and addresses

• Phone numbers and email addresses

• Location data

• Purchasing behavior

• Demographic and inferred personal details

Most consumers never directly interact with these companies, yet their information circulates widely across the data marketplace.

Even in states where deletion rights exist, individuals are typically required to:

• Identify each data broker individually

• Navigate different websites and forms

• Submit separate deletion requests

• Monitor compliance on their own

For most people, this process is unrealistic. As a result, personal data often remains available indefinitely.

California Proved a Better Way Is Possible

California addressed this problem by passing the California Delete Act, which created a new, centralized approach to data deletion.

Under this law:

• Data brokers operating in the state must register with a state authority

• Consumers can submit one deletion request instead of many

• Data brokers are required to honor those requests within set timelines

To make this work in practice, California created the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) — a first-of-its-kind system that allows residents to delete their personal data from all registered data brokers at once.

Oversight and enforcement are handled by the California Privacy Protection Agency, ensuring accountability and consistency.

This system is not a proposal or pilot. It is a functioning, enforceable model that shows centralized data deletion can work at scale.

Why This Matters Beyond California

California’s experience demonstrates that:

• Consumer privacy rights can be made usable, not just theoretical

• Centralized deletion reduces confusion for consumers and businesses alike

• Strong privacy protections do not require excessive complexity

Other states now have a clear example they can learn from and adapt to their own legal frameworks.

Our Approach

Data Delete Now focuses on state-by-state progress because states can:

• Move faster than federal institutions

• Respond directly to resident concerns

• Build on existing consumer protection laws

We work to:

• Educate the public about data brokers and personal data rights

• Explain California’s model in clear, non-technical terms

• Demonstrate public support for practical privacy solutions

• Provide policymakers with a proven framework they can adopt

Our approach is nonpartisan, practical, and focused on consumer choice and transparency.

What Success Looks Like

Success means a future where:

• Deleting personal data is straightforward and accessible

• Consumers don’t need legal expertise to protect their privacy

• States provide clear, centralized tools for exercising data rights

• Privacy protections keep pace with how data is actually collected and used

Privacy should not depend on persistence or paperwork.
It should be simple.

Join the Effort

Change happens when people understand the issue and show support for practical solutions. By learning more, sharing information, and joining the movement, you help bring meaningful data privacy protections closer to reality.