Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills aimed at bolstering California’s consumer privacy protections, including a measure that makes it easier for social media users to permanently delete their accounts and personal data.
The centerpiece of the legislation, Assembly Bill 656 by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita), requires social media companies to provide a clear and simple option for users to close their accounts. The law also mandates that once an account is canceled, all associated personal data must be fully deleted.
“It shouldn’t be hard to delete social media accounts, and it shouldn’t be even harder to take back control of personal data,” Newsom said in a statement during San Francisco Tech Week 2025. Schiavo added that the law ensures “social media users deserve to have the confidence that they can easily delete their account and when they do that their personal information is deleted too.”
The governor also signed Senate Bill 361 by Senator Josh Becker, which strengthens the state’s Data Broker Registration Law by requiring brokers to disclose more about the personal information they collect and share. Another measure, Assembly Bill 566 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), obligates internet browsers to include a setting that allows users to send a single opt-out signal to websites, enabling Californians to block the sale of their data to third parties without having to opt out individually on each site.
The new laws build on recent privacy initiatives, including last year’s “Click to Cancel” bill simplifying subscription cancellations and the 2023 DELETE Act, which will give Californians the power to erase data held by brokers starting in 2026. Together, officials say, these measures reinforce California’s role as a national leader in consumer privacy rights.
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