California DROP
- ID:
california-drop
- Category: government mechanism
- Jurisdictions: California residents
- Review status: reviewed guidance
- Last reviewed: 2026-08-14
Official sources
Supported goals
delete — one request can direct data brokers registered with California to delete covered personal information, subject to the program’s scope and legal exceptions.
opt-out — use the choices offered by the live DROP portal; do not promise that every downstream use will stop.
Channels and required capabilities
Minimum known fields
The live portal determines the required fields. California’s program information says that a resident verifies identity through California Identity Gateway and chooses what data to provide. Do not pre-collect identity data outside that portal.
Procedure
- Confirm that the user is requesting action for themself and says they are a California resident.
- Open the official request portal and let the user complete identity verification directly.
- Explain the choices shown by the portal without making an eligibility or legal determination.
- Stop before final submission and ask the user to review the live request.
- After the user submits, record only the date, status, and non-secret reference they choose to retain.
Manual checkpoints
- CAPTCHA: unknown; handle manually if shown
- MFA or OTP: identity verification is manual
- Login: California Identity Gateway may be required
- Identity documents: do not collect; the user handles any request in the official portal
- Other: never attempt to act for a minor, dependent, or another adult
Evidence and status interpretation
A portal confirmation means only that DROP accepted the request. Broker processing and deletion are later states. Do not claim that a broker held the user’s data or completed deletion without evidence from the official process.
Limitations
- The program is limited to eligible California residents and registered data brokers.
- Coverage, exemptions, and portal behavior may change. Stop if the live process differs materially from this profile.
- GoneBot does not decide eligibility or provide legal advice.