California shuts down data broker for failing to register

The California Privacy Protection Agency ordered data broker Background Alert to shut down for three years after it failed to register under the Delete Act, which governs data broker registration and fees. Background Alert aggregated billions of public records to build profiles and draw inferences—practices the CPPA called especially invasive—and the action reflects a broader state crackdown on unregistered brokers. The agency is also developing a consumer tool to request deletion of personal data across brokers with a single action.