“Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” is a consumer privacy right under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). It allows individuals to request that a business stop selling or sharing their personal information with third parties, particularly for advertising purposes.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Key facts about “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”
- Defined by: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
- Purpose: Allow consumers to limit how businesses disclose personal information to third parties
- Applies to: Businesses that sell or share personal information
- Typical mechanism: Website link or privacy preference center
- Common use case: Limiting data sharing used for cross-context behavioral advertising
- Regulatory authority: California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)
What is “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”?
“Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” is a privacy right that allows consumers to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information by businesses.
Under California privacy law, businesses that sell or share personal information must provide a clear way for consumers to request that their personal data not be disclosed to third parties.
Websites commonly provide this option through a visible link labeled “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”, often located in the website footer or within a privacy preference center.
Meaning of “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information”
The phrase refers to a consumer’s ability to limit how their personal information is disclosed to external organizations.
Under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the concept of sharing personal information includes transferring personal information to third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising.
This means that when websites share personal data with advertising partners or marketing platforms, consumers may have the right to request that such sharing stop.
When this privacy right applies
Businesses may need to provide a Do Not Sell or Share option when they disclose personal information to third parties for certain purposes.
Examples may include:
- transmitting user identifiers through advertising pixels
- sharing behavioral data with advertising platforms
- sending personal information to marketing partners
- participating in advertising networks that combine data across websites
In these cases, privacy regulations require businesses to provide consumers with a mechanism to opt out.
How businesses present the “Do Not Sell or Share” option
Organizations typically provide this option through one or more privacy interfaces.
Common implementations include:
- a link in the website footer
- a privacy preference center
- a consent banner interface
- an opt-out form or privacy request portal
These interfaces allow users to submit requests to limit the sharing of their personal information.
Do Not Sell or Share and consent management platforms
Many websites use Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) to manage privacy choices and consumer requests.
CMPs can help organizations present opt-out mechanisms, manage tracking preferences, and communicate privacy choices to advertising technologies operating on the website.
These platforms allow organizations to coordinate privacy signals across multiple analytics, marketing, and advertising tools.
Learn more about the CCPA “Do Not Sell or Share” requirement
While this glossary explains the meaning of the term, the implementation of this requirement can vary depending on how websites use advertising technologies.
For a deeper explanation of how the Do Not Sell or Share requirement works and how websites implement the opt-out link, see our guide: CCPA Do Not Sell or Share Requirement Explained
Related privacy terms
Frequently asked questions
It is a consumer right that allows individuals to request that a business stop selling or sharing their personal information with third parties.
Businesses that disclose personal information to advertising partners or other third parties may be required to provide an opt-out mechanism under California privacy law.
The option is commonly located in a website footer, privacy preference center, or consent banner interface.
Not necessarily. The request typically applies to activities involving selling or sharing personal information, particularly those related to advertising technologies.
Adam is the Head of Digital Marketing at Clym, where he leverages his diverse expertise in marketing to support businesses with their compliance needs and drive awareness about data privacy and web accessibility. As one of the company’s original team members, Adam has been instrumental in shaping its journey from the very beginning. When he’s not diving into marketing strategies, Adam can be found cheering on his favorite sports teams or enjoying fishing.
Find out more about Adam