California’s new data privacy laws went into effect on Jan. 1.
AB 656 requires social media companies to make canceling an account straightforward and clear – and ensure that cancellation triggers full deletion of the user’s personal data. Additional laws to help strengthen California’s privacy protections and ensure that consumers have transparent and fair ways to control their own data also became law..
“It shouldn’t be hard to delete social media accounts, and it shouldn’t be even harder to take back control of personal data,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said when he signed the bills in October. “With these bills, social media users can be assured that when they delete their accounts, they do not leave their data behind.”
These new laws add to data privacy protections passed earlier. In 2024, the Click to Cancel bill, AB 2863, made it easier to cancel subscriptions, and 2023’s SB 362, the DELETE Act, which, beginning in August 2026, will allow Californians to delete all of their data held by data brokers through a single interface.
Gov. Newsom also signed two additional bills to help consumers maintain better control of their data:
- SB 361, which strengthens the Data Broker Registration Law by providing consumers with more information about the personal information collected by data brokers and who may have access to consumers’ data.
- AB 566, which helps consumers exercise their opt-out rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act by requiring browsers to include a setting to send websites an opt-out preference signal to enable Californians to opt out of third-party sales of their data at one time instead of on each individual website.
“California continues to lead the way on consumer privacy protection,” Matt Schwartz, policy analyst for Consumer Reports, a testing and advocacy group, said in a statement. “The California Opt Me Out Act builds on the CCPA [California Consumer Privacy Act] by making it far easier for consumers to take advantage of their existing privacy rights in practice.”
For too long, opting out has been a confusing and time intensive process, and many people might not have even realized they can universally opt out, Schwartz said. “This law will help people protect their personal data by allowing them to simply switch a toggle that tells businesses they can’t sell or share it.”
Consumer Reports and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, an advocacy organization, also supported SB 361, legislation to amend the Delete Act. It will help Californians understand who has personal information collected by data brokers so they can make informed decisions about whether to request deletion of their information from all registered data brokers.
The Consumer Federation of California, an advocacy organization, supported AB 656. “Consumers shouldn’t feel trapped and forced to navigate a Kafkaesque nightmare to delete unwanted social media accounts,” CFC Executive Director Robert Herrell said in a statement in October when Gov. Newsom signed the bill. “It should be a simple process for consumers to delete their accounts and take their data with them.”
From paid subscriptions to free accounts, consumers deserve easy control, and AB 656 helps us make that a reality, Herrell said.
