Online Safety Tip: Stopping Spam — The Do Not Call Registry and California's DROP Tool

A while back we shared a tip about phishing — messages that pretend to come from a company, school, or bank you trust so they can collect your information. Unwanted sales calls and texts are the same problem in a different package, and the good news is that two free tools can quiet a lot of it. The one that works no matter where you live is the National Do Not Call Registry. Add your home or mobile number at donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want to register. Registration is free and does not expire, and telemarketers covered by the law have to stop calling once your number has been on the list for 31 days. If unwanted calls keep coming after that, you can report the number on the same site — the reports are what let regulators go after repeat offenders.

California families have one more option. The state's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) lets residents send a single request asking registered data brokers to delete eligible personal information and stop selling or sharing it. It takes about five minutes at privacy.ca.gov/drop, where you verify your California residency and provide some personal details; parents can in some cases file on behalf of another resident.

DROP will not erase everything — some records are exempt, and it only covers brokers registered with the state — but less personal data in circulation means less material for targeted fraud.