Consumer Federation of California

CFC continues its work to ensure consumer can cancel unwanted subscriptions without the run-around!

For Immediate Release: October 8, 2025

Sacramento, CA – Legislation sponsored by the Consumer Federation of California (CFC) that builds on consumer protections for online renewals was signed today by Governor Newsom. 

Assembly Bill 656, authored by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D – Chatsworth ), is a bipartisan bill that strengthens consumer protections in California by establishing a simple, straightforward process for deleting social media accounts. This bill builds on CFC and Assemblymember Schiavo’s “click-to-cancel” law, AB 2863 (2024), which protects consumers from unwanted subscriptions by making cancellations easier, saving them both time and money. 

 “We’d like to thank Governor Newsom for signing this bill and Assemblymember Schiavo for her dedication and hard work to protect consumers,” said CFC Executive Director Robert Herrell. “Consumers shouldn’t feel trapped and forced to navigate a Kafkaesque nightmare to delete unwanted social media accounts. It should be a simple process for consumers to delete their accounts and take their data with them. This is simple common sense and now California has some of the most comprehensive laws in the nation on this issue. From paid subscriptions to free accounts, consumers deserve easy control, and AB 656 helps us make that a reality.” 

Assemblymember Schiavo stated, “As the mother of a teen, I worry about the toll that social media takes on our children’s mental health. And unfortunately, these platforms are designed to maintain engagement, which deepens addiction. With AB 656 becoming law, California is giving our kids and anyone experiencing the mental health challenges related to social media a clear and easy way to delete their account and personal information from the platform.” 

Currently, deleting an account one no longer wants, even accounts that were free to sign up for where no regular payment is required, is far too complex and burdensome. Many consumers find that even after you press the “delete account” button, their account is not deleted and in some cases takes up to 90 days for a full deletion. In some cases, this button is also buried deep within the accounts settings, taking users as much as 20 steps to request the deletion of their accounts and consumers have to resort to looking up tutorials online to navigate the process.  

The process for consumers to regain ownership of their data is often unnecessarily complex, largely because user data represents a significant revenue source for many of these social media companies. Nevertheless, consumers should not feel coerced into remaining on platforms that no longer provide value to their lives and for this reason, CFC sponsored AB 656.  

Key provisions of AB 656 include: 

Easy-to-cancel feature: Requires social media platforms to prominently feature a clear, easily accessible “delete” button for account deletion.  

Deletion of user data: Upon a consumer’s confirmation, all personal information associated with the account and collected through the platform must be deleted. 

Through AB 656, social media account deletion will be a straightforward process, achievable with a single click, at any time, and for any reason. The new law will take effect on January 1, 2026. 

About Consumer Federation of California The Consumer Federation of California is a nonprofit advocacy organization that, since 1960, has been a powerful voice for consumer rights. CFC campaigns for laws and regulations that place consumer protection ahead of corporate profit, either in front of the California Legislature or before state agencies in support of consumer regulations.

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