Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

California Just Made It Easier To Disappear From The Internet For Free

California has just launched something that privacy advocates have been asking for years: a free, government-built tool that lets every resident permanently delete their personal information from over 545 data broker websites in a single step, all in under 10 minutes from the comfort of their own home. The platform, called DROP, attracted over 176,000 sign-ups in its very first four weeks online, far exceeding what officials had anticipated and signaling just how eager people across the state are to take back control of their own digital lives. Before DROP existed, anyone wanting to scrub their data from broker sites had to either pay a private company to do it or visit every single one of those 500-plus companies individually and submit separate deletion requests one by one, a process that could take hours or even days. Now a single free sign-up handles everything automatically, with brokers required by law to complete deletion requests within 90 days and to keep checking back every 45 days to remove any new data collected in the meantime.

The tool carries particular meaning for older adults, who are disproportionately targeted by scammers who purchase personal data from brokers to fuel phone and email fraud. Data brokers collect information like email addresses, phone numbers, browsing history, location data, and even detailed inferences about a person’s health and shopping habits, then sell it to anyone willing to pay for it. California’s Executive Director of the Privacy Protection Agency put it plainly at a recent senior scam prevention event: in today’s digital economy, people and their personal data are the product being sold to the highest bidder. With DROP, California is once again leading the nation on privacy, and for millions of residents who never knew a tool this powerful was even possible, signing up is completely free and takes less time than making a cup of coffee.

Source: https://peninsulapress.com/2026/02/04/new-california-privacy-platform-exceeds-expectations/

PrevPreviousBurger King’s Viral CEO Whopper Bite Is A Shot Fired
NextThe iPhone Feature That Saved Six LivesNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

The Supreme Court Said The Tariffs Were Illegal, Now FedEx And UPS Are Sending Money Back

April 29, 2026

Here is some genuinely good news for your wallet. In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a sweeping set of tariffs that had been driving up prices on imported goods were unconstitutional — and now the refund process has officially begun. This week, the federal government opened a portal

Read More
Happy News

Amsterdam Is The First Capital City In The World To Ban Fossil Fuel Ads

April 29, 2026

Starting May 1, 2026, the billboards, bus shelters, metro platforms, and tram stops of Amsterdam will be cleared of advertisements for flights, cruises, petrol-powered cars, gas heating contracts, and meat products, as the Dutch capital becomes the first in the world to enforce a legally binding ban on fossil fuel

Read More
Happy News

Independent Bookstores Are Making A Comeback Nobody Predicted

April 29, 2026

For more than two decades, independent bookstores across the United States were disappearing at an alarming rate, driven out by the rise of Amazon and big-box retailers that could offer steep discounts and instant delivery that small shops simply could not match. The American Booksellers Association had over 5,500 member

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.