Newsom signs bill that would make it easier to delete online personal data

Californians will be able to make a single request asking that data brokers delete their personal information, under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 362, also known as the Delete Act, directs the California Privacy Protection Agency to create this new tool by January 2026.

Data brokers include businesses that gather and sell people’s personal data such as addresses, spending habits and employment status. Roughly 500 data brokers are registered in California, and these businesses include everything from people-search sites to analytic firms that work with political campaigns.

Californians already have the right to ask businesses to delete their personal information, but consumers have to make multiple requests. It’s also tough for consumers to know which data brokers have their personal data, and businesses might deny a deletion request.

State lawmakers who passed the bill said the Delete Act will help protect consumer privacy and make it easier to get sensitive information erased, such as their location or about reproductive health care. Businesses that rely on personal data to market their products, verify identities or combat crime opposed the measure, arguing it would harm the economy.

Consumers could exclude certain data brokers from their deletion request and there are exemptions under the bill.