In recognition of National Data Privacy Day, January 28, 2025, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings encourages Delawareans to take steps to protect their data privacy. Delawareans now have increased protections under the new Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act (DPDPA), which took effect on January 1, 2025.

“Delawareans no longer have to accept the unlimited collection of personal data about themselves or their children by businesses,” said AG Jennings. “Thanks to the new Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act, Delawareans have new tools at their disposal and my office has new authority to better protect Delawareans’ data privacy.”

The DPDPA provides consumers with several important rights to protect personal data. Delawareans can learn more about their data privacy rights at privacy.delaware.gov.

AG Jennings offers the following tips to promote your data privacy:

• Ask not to track. Businesses are now required to ask permission to use sensitive data, including things like precise location, genetic or biometric data, ethnic origin, and mental and health conditions. If you don’t think the business needs that data, don’t let them track it.
• Check privacy settings on your mobile phone. Under settings, most phones show whether or not apps can currently track your location. If the app doesn’t need your location, don’t share it.
• Set social media accounts to private. Scammers often find out information about you by searching your public social media profiles.
• Request data brokers delete your data. There are thousands of businesses called data brokers that have profiles on you even though you’ve never heard of the business. Under the DPDPA, you can now ask to access and delete your information.
• Exercise your rights. Use your DPDPA rights to access, correct, or delete personal data used by businesses you no longer do business with. Businesses are now required to provide you with information on how to exercise these new rights.
• Tell businesses to not sell your data. The DPDPA also gives Delawareans new rights to opt out of the sale of their information. You can typically find a selection that says “Do not sell my information” on websites.
• Turn off targeted advertising. The DPDPA allows Delawareans to opt out of targeted advertising. You can visit major platforms and turn off personalized ads.
• Exercise these rights for your kids. The DPDPA allows parents to make access requests on behalf of their children.
• Contact us. Contact the Department of Justice’s privacy team at privacy@delaware.gov if you have any concerns about a business’s data privacy practices or have unresolved complaints with a business.