What sensitive data do California's data brokers collect?
115 of the 603 registered data brokers (19%) say they collect people's precise geolocation, the most common of the ten sensitive categories the registry asks about.
Precise geolocation115 19%115 of 603 registered data brokers (19%)
Gender identity or expression69 11%69 of 603 registered data brokers (11%)
Government ID numbers42 7%42 of 603 registered data brokers (7%)
Personal information of minors18 3%18 of 603 registered data brokers (3%)
Sexual orientation18 3%18 of 603 registered data brokers (3%)
Account logins or security codes13 2.2%13 of 603 registered data brokers (2.2%)
Citizenship or immigration status12 2%12 of 603 registered data brokers (2%)
Biometric data12 2%12 of 603 registered data brokers (2%)
Reproductive health care data8 1.3%8 of 603 registered data brokers (1.3%)
Union membership6 1%6 of 603 registered data brokers (1%)
Chart: DeepSearch, CC BY 4.0. Data: California Privacy Protection Agency, registry file published July 29, 2026.
Key findings
211 brokers (35%) collect at least one of the ten sensitive categories.
18 say they collect personal information about minors, and 8 collect reproductive health care data.
42 collect government-issued ID numbers used to verify identity, and 12 collect biometric data.
The data
What sensitive data do California's data brokers collect?
Category
Brokers
Share
Precise geolocation
115
19%
Gender identity or expression
69
11%
Government ID numbers
42
7%
Personal information of minors
18
3%
Sexual orientation
18
3%
Account logins or security codes
13
2.2%
Citizenship or immigration status
12
2%
Biometric data
12
2%
Reproductive health care data
8
1.3%
Union membership
6
1%
Shares are of 603 registered data brokers.
How we made this chart
Data brokers that operated in California in 2025 had to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) in 2026. The registration form asks each one the same questions, and CalPrivacy publishes every answer.
The form asks a yes-or-no question for each of these ten kinds of data. We counted the registrations that answered yes. A broker that collects several kinds is counted once in each bar.
Limits to keep in mind:
Every figure is self-reported by the broker on its registration. CalPrivacy publishes the answers as filed, and DeepSearch has not audited them.
Affiliated companies often register separately, so one corporate group can appear several times.
The registry lists businesses that meet California's definition of a data broker: companies that sell data about people they have no direct relationship with. A company that only uses data from its own customers is not on it.
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<p>Chart: <a href="https://deepsearch.app/data/data-brokers-sensitive-data">DeepSearch</a>. Source: 2026 California Data Broker Registry.</p>
Image
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<a href="https://deepsearch.app/data/data-brokers-sensitive-data"><img src="https://deepsearch.app/data/data-brokers-sensitive-data/chart.png" alt="What sensitive data do California's data brokers collect? 115 of the 603 registered data brokers (19%) say they collect people's precise geolocation, the most common of the ten sensitive categories the registry asks about." width="1200" height="675" style="max-width:100%;height:auto" loading="lazy"></a>
<figcaption>Chart: <a href="https://deepsearch.app/data/data-brokers-sensitive-data">DeepSearch</a>. Source: 2026 California Data Broker Registry.</figcaption>
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Cite this chart
DeepSearch. (October 15, 2026). What sensitive data do California's data brokers collect? DeepSearch Data. https://deepsearch.app/data/data-brokers-sensitive-data
55 registered data brokers sold or shared people's data with the federal government in the year before registering, and 32 with developers of generative AI systems or models.