The Digital Security Digest, by Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), is a weekly newsletter with security tips that keep you, your sources, and your devices safe. If someone shared this newsletter with you, please subscribe here.

California residents: ‘DROP’ it like it’s hot

In 2023, California passed the Delete Act. The law required the state to develop a tool to help verified residents request that their data be deleted from data brokers — private companies that aggregate and sell personal information about individuals, such as Intelius or Radaris. Starting at the beginning of 2026, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform allows California residents to ask for the deletion of personal data from at least 543 registered data brokers. Read more about the state’s DROP tool.

What you can do

In the absence of a federal privacy law passed by Congress, we hope to see other states implement similar measures, starting with registration requirements. In the meantime, Californians and Americans in other states have some options to protect their personal data.

  • California residents: DROP hundreds of data brokers. Note this will require your name, physical address, and birth date to confirm your eligibility. Starting August 1, 2026, data brokers are required to delete data within 90 days. If this applies to you, get started.
  • Try paid opt-out services. You can also pay someone to handle opt-out requests for you. Those living outside of California may benefit from tools like DeleteMe, Optery, and EasyOptOuts to remove your personal information from data brokers. Research from Consumer Reports offers a useful comparison of features and prices to help you find an opt-out service that works for you.
  • Manually opt out for free. Yael Grauer’s Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List helpfully flags “crucial” and “high priority” targets for opting out, so you know where to get started. This is going to be more effort, compared to using an opt-out service or DROP.

Updates from our team

  • Unlike my previous failed New Year’s resolutions, digital security improvements are actually quite achievable and in reach! Check out our newly updated 2026 journalist’s digital security checklist.
  • If you’re a journalist looking for assistance setting up confidential tip pages, we’ve got your back. Based on our research, we’ve made some substantial updates to our guidance on security considerations for setting up tiplines. Take a look at our guide and share it with your newsroom.

Our team is always ready to assist journalists with digital security concerns. Reach out here, and stay safe and secure out there.

Best,
Martin

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Martin Shelton
Deputy Director of Digital Security
Freedom of the Press Foundation