California Strengthens CCPA with 'Delete Act'

The government of California has passed the 'Delete Act', allowing consumers to remove their personal data from the records of multiple companies with a single request on a single web page.

The state is already known for its commitment for legislating on digital privacy issues - three years ago it passed the CCPA, a stateside cousin of the European GDPR which compels businesses to respond to individuals' requests to disclose, delete or withhold from sharing or selling personal data. Senate Bill 362 was signed off this week by California Governor Gavin Newsom, and states that by January 2026, citizens will be able to require data brokers to delete their data via a single request - the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) will set up the system.

However, with an estimated 500 data brokers in the giant state, the need to request this of firms individually makes the process quite impractical. The Delete Act was introduced in April 2023 by state Senator Josh Becker (Dem., pictured). Brokers who do not coply with requests via the single interface will be fined or otherwise penalised. Two years after the deadline for the availability of the single interface, and thereafter every three years, the state will conduct independent audits of brokers to ensure they are compliant.

Web site: www.oag.ca.gov .