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This Just In

Illustration of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a group of opt out web pages labeled with phrases like "Opt Out" or "Delete My Data"; the magnifying glass shows a dashed outline of those web pages, conveying that they are concealed

We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online

Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found. After our reporters reached out for comment, multiple companies have stopped the practice.

Tracker advice: This is how you stop data trackers from sucking up your health data

Reading lesson: How to Quickly Get to the Important Truth Inside Any Privacy Policy

Privacy tips: Overwhelmed by Digital Privacy? Reset with These Practical Tips

A lawmaker, with short blonde hair and wearing black blazer with a purple-patterned scarf, sits behind a dais during a legislative meeting. Other people can be seen in the background.

Data brokers face new pressure for hiding opt-out pages from Google

After reporters found dozens of firms hiding privacy tools from search results, US senator Maggie Hassan insists the companies explain their practices—and pledge to improve access to privacy controls.

Illustration of a woman wearing an prison uniform on a laptop labeled "C.D.C.R."; she's surrounded by a pile of textbooks, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation seal, a search input, a browser window with a lock on it, a crossed-out Wifi symbol and a silhouette of a person in a graduation uniform holding up a diploma

Prison inmates can take college classes, but often with no internet and limited tech

Students regularly face dead ends, even with access to technology and research resources

A view from behind of two rows of cars sitting idle during a traffic jam on a road.

California police are illegally sharing license plate data with ICE and Border Patrol

LAPD and the counties of San Diego, Orange, and Riverside have repeatedly shared automated license plate reader data to federal agencies

A collage-style illustration in green and gray tones with several images and textures on it, including: an image shows a mom's hand holding a baby's hand, apartment buildings and portions of a city grid line map.

The NYC Algorithm Deciding Which Families Are Under Watch for Child Abuse

How a family’s neighborhood, age, and mental health might get their case a deeper look

Illustration of a woman on her laptop, set against a background of a browser window; the image is heavily manipulated to be pixelated in a bitmap style

This is how you stop data trackers from sucking up your health data

The Markup and CalMatters found multiple ways consumers can block the trackers quietly sending your data to tech companies, including those used on state-run health exchange websites.