California's Delete Act Shows Way for Iowa as Social Security Numbers Flood Dark Web

Millions of Americans, including Iowans, have had their Social Security numbers and other personal data listed for sale on the dark web after massive data breaches. In California, a groundbreaking law is giving residents a way to fight back, and it raises a question for Iowa: could a similar approach protect families here?

The consequences of this data falling into the wrong hands are severe. Thieves can open new credit cards, file fraudulent tax returns, and steal government benefits. For Iowa families, this means financial ruin and identity theft that can take years to undo.

What Is California's Delete Act?

California's Delete Act, known as SB 362, allows residents to request the erasure of their personal data from hundreds of registered data brokers through a single online platform called DROP (Delete Request and Opt-out Platform). This includes sensitive information like Social Security numbers, precise geolocation, browsing history, email addresses, phone numbers, and health-related data.

Data brokers who fail to comply face a penalty of $200 per day for each person whose information is not deleted. The first round of deletions is set to begin after August 1.

What is not deleted? First-party data given directly to a business, exempted data, and publicly available information remain untouched.

Over 300,000 Californians Sign Up for Deletion

As of July 1, more than 332,000 Californians had already signed up to have their information deleted. Of the nearly 600 registered data brokers in the state, 110 sell precise location data, over 40 sell identity data that can include Social Security numbers, and seven sell reproductive health information. Eighteen brokers sell data on minors.

CalPrivacy Executive Director Tom Kemp said,

Our data is their product, and they don't sell it back to us. They sell it to other people. We don't have control or say over who buys it. It's not healthy to have all our personal information sloshing around. For the bad guys, it's cheaper and easier for them to use data brokers and buy lists of people.

What About Iowa? A Patchwork of State Laws

There is no comprehensive federal law regulating data brokers or banning the sale of personal information. Instead, the country has a patchwork of state laws. Iowa is among 20 states that have enacted comprehensive privacy laws as of April, according to Nixon Digital. Other states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Iowa's law, however, does not yet include a centralized deletion system like California's DROP. Other states are moving in that direction. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed a law requiring brokers to register and establishing a centralized deletion mechanism by July 1, 2028. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a bill cracking down on data brokers and banning the sale of sensitive data.

Why Aren't More People Pushing the 'Delete Button'?

Despite the risks, the number of Californians who have requested deletion is less than 1 percent of the state's population. Kemp expects that number to grow once brokers start deleting data. He urged residents to press

the great delete button in the sky.

Kemp added,

You will reduce your footprint out there, and you should see less targeted advertising based on your demographics, you will see less text scams and email spams, and you will see, potentially, less attempts to defraud you.

What Iowans Can Do Now

While Iowa's privacy law offers some protections, it does not yet provide a one-stop deletion system. Iowans concerned about their data should consider contacting their state legislators to push for stronger protections. They can also take steps to limit data collection, such as using privacy-focused browsers, opting out of data sharing when possible, and monitoring their credit reports for suspicious activity.

For now, California's experiment with the Delete Act offers a model. If successful, it could pressure other states, including Iowa, to follow suit. The question for Iowa families is: how long can we afford to wait?