New California tool DROP can delete personal information

New free California privacy tool lets residents delete personal information

WELCOME BACK. EVERY DAY, COMPANIES COLLECT AND SELL PERSONAL DATA ABOUT CONSUMERS ONLINE. BUT NOW THE CALIFORNIA PRIVACY PROTECTION AGENCY IS GIVING RESIDENTS A NEW WAY TO TAKE CONTROL OF THAT INFORMATION. IT’S CALLED THE DELETE REQUEST AND OPT OUT PLATFORM OR DROP. SO YOU’RE TAKING SOME TAKING A LOOK AT SOME VIDEO HERE OF THEIR BOOTHS THAT THEY’VE BEEN SET UP. THIS IS CAL PRIVACY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TOM KEMP. SO TOM, WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS. THIS IS A FIRST OF ITS KIND TOOL IN CALIFORNIA FOR CALIFORNIANS. EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO THE DELETE REQUEST AND OPT OUT PLATFORM OR DROP IS A FREE TOOL AVAILABLE TO CALIFORNIANS. AND IT GIVES CALIFORNIANS THE ABILITY TO BASICALLY HAVE A SINGLE CLICK MECHANISM TO GET THEIR DATA DELETED FROM DATA BROKERS. NOW, DATA BROKERS ARE THESE COMPANIES THAT WE DON’T HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT COLLECT AND SELL OUR INFORMATION TO BASICALLY ANYONE WITH A CREDIT CARD. SO THIS IS A WAY FOR CALIFORNIANS TO GET BETTER CONTROL AND REDUCE THEIR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT THAT’S OUT THERE ABOUT THEM. AND TALK ABOUT THE HOW IT’S BEING PAID FOR. SO AGAIN, YOU SAID IT’S FREE FOR CALIFORNIANS, BUT HOW IS THE PLATFORM BEING PAID FOR? YEAH, THE DROP SYSTEM IS FUNDED BY DATA BROKERS THAT PAY A REGISTRATION FEE. AND SO THERE’S NO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS FOR THIS. AND THE SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE AS OF JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR. AND STARTING IN AUGUST, THE DATA BROKERS WILL CONNECT INTO THE SYSTEM AND BEGIN THE DELETION OF OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION BASED ON THE REGISTRATIONS OF CALIFORNIANS INTO THE SYSTEM. AND SO YOU SAID IT’S A ONE CLICK PROCESS, BUT WHAT WAS THE SYSTEM TO DELETE YOUR DATA BEFORE NOW? SEE, THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IS THERE’S JUST HUNDREDS OF COMPANIES THAT COLLECT AND SELL OUR…

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