Skip to content

What It Takes to Build Privacy Infrastructure at the State Level: Tom Kemp on California's DROP System

August 15, 2026 · 1 h 7 min

Show notes

California created a free service that deletes your personal information from over 600 registered data brokers. Tom Kemp, Executive Director of the California Privacy Protection Agency (Cal Privacy), breaks down how the DROP system actually works, why data brokers face fines of up to $40 million a day for non-compliance, what to do if you live outside California, and more.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• Cal Privacy: https://cppa.ca.gov/
• DROP: https://privacy.ca.gov
• California Safe at Home Program: https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

  • (00:00) - INTRO
  • (01:44) - CPPA VS. CAL PRIVACY
  • (02:52) - TOM'S BACKGROUND
  • (04:39) - CAL PRIVACY RELATIONSHIP WITH BIG TECH
  • (07:38) - CAL PRIVACY INSPIRATION
  • (12:23) - THE PRIVACY PARADOX
  • (15:15) - CALIFORNIA'S APPROACH VS. OTHERS
  • (18:04) - UPCOMING BROWSER REQUIREMENTS
  • (19:15) - DELETE REQUEST AND OPT-OUT PLATFORM (DROP)
  • (26:08) - HOW DROP WORKS
  • (28:05) - DROP VS. DATA REMOVAL SERVICES
  • (00:00) - 37:14 WHO RUNS THE DROP TECH?
  • (39:43) - DATA SECURITY & INFRASTRUCTURE
  • (46:14) - LEAVING OR CUSTOMIZING DROP
  • (46:46) - TIMING
  • (47:33) - DATA BROKER REGISTRY
  • (49:41) - DATA BROKER REACTION
  • (51:36) - WHY IS THIS RETROACTIVE?
  • (54:45) - HOW TO ADVOCATE WHERE YOU ARE
  • (57:50) - FEDERAL PRIVACY REGULATION
  • (01:00:12) - HOW TO UTILIZE YOUR RIGHTS & TOOLS
  • (01:04:14) - FINAL THOUGHTS

🎥 VIDEO
Watch on YouTube

🧡 SUPPORT TECHLORE
Keep Techlore Talks independent & growing: ★ Support this podcast ★

All episodes of Techlore Talks

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.