The state's Delete Act was supposed to give Californians a one-stop-shop to request their online information be deleted. But only a minority of registered data brokers are abiding by those laws, says Jennifer King, privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered AI.

California promised consumers an easier way to protect their personal data. Since 2024, the Delete Act has required the state registration of data brokers — businesses that collect and sell personal data from our digital footprints — and it also mandates they give consumers a way to request their data be deleted and report how many requests they get.
But, a new Stanford report shows registered data brokers are largely ignoring the laws. Jennifer King, privacy and data policy fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI, says only 9% of data brokers are in compliance.
“Regulating Data Brokers in the Age of AI: A California Case Study” from Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI
“About DROP and the Delete Act” from the California Privacy Protection Agency