Episode 77: Tom Kemp & Tony Ficarrotta on California’s Delete Act, Data Brokers & Privacy Law

At the NAI Summit 2026, Tony Ficarrotta, VP and General Counsel of the NAI, sat down with Tom Kemp, Executive Director of CalPrivacy, for an in-depth discussion on the California Delete Act, the DROP platform, data broker regulation, opt-out preference signals, privacy enforcement, and the future of federal privacy legislation.

They explore how California is making privacy rights easier to exercise for consumers, the challenges of balancing innovation with consumer protection, and what businesses should expect from the next wave of privacy regulation.

More info on the NAI at https://thenai.org/

More info on CalPrivacy at https://privacy.ca.gov/about-us/

More info on the Chapell Regulatory Insider at https://chapellreport.substack.com/

Takeaways

Former Silicon Valley entrepreneur and cybersecurity founder Tom Kemp now leads CalPrivacy as Executive Director.

CalPrivacy aims to make privacy rights easier to exercise for consumers through tools like DROP and browser-based opt-out signals.

California is developing a centralized system for consumers to request data deletion from registered brokers.

The agency handles enforcement, rulemaking, audits, education, advocacy, and the data broker registry.

Kemp opposes federal laws that could override stronger state privacy protections.

California is expanding browser-based privacy controls while prioritizing consumer intent.