California's Data Broker Deletion Platform Goes Live Under the Delete Act

California's Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) launched in August 2026 under the state's Delete Act, giving consumers a single, centralized way to request deletion of their data across registered data brokers — replacing what had been a broker-by-broker opt-out process.

What Changes for Businesses That Buy or Sell Consumer Data

• Data brokers registered in California are now required to process deletion requests submitted through DROP, not just requests received directly
• This effectively raises the compliance bar from "honor requests you receive" to "actively monitor a centralized platform for requests naming you" — a meaningfully different operational requirement
• Any business that qualifies as a data broker under California's definition (even as a secondary function of a broader business model) needs a real, monitored process for this now, not an ad hoc one

This lands alongside the EU AI Act's transparency obligations taking effect the same month — August 2026 is a genuinely dense month for data-related compliance deadlines across two major jurisdictions, worth flagging to any legal/compliance function tracking a global regulatory calendar.