Data Removal Statistics: 92% of Americans Are Concerned About Their Data Being Online, But Most Feel They Have No Control Over It

Data brokers have spent decades collecting and selling personal details on nearly every American adult, often against their will. This has only accelerated as more of our lives have moved online. While most people are aware that their data has been collected and turned into a commodity, very few have done anything to combat it.

All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to measure awareness of data brokers and data removal services, gauge concern about their personal details being available online, and find out what steps, if any, people have taken to remove this information from the internet.

Key findings

• Nearly all Americans (92%) have some level of anxiety about their personal information being available online, and 68% feel they have little to no control over what's out there.
• 62% of respondents have received a scam call or a phishing attempt where the scammer used accurate personal details available online.
• 32% of users have ever tried to remove their personal information on their own, and just 9% have used data removal services.
• Nearly all users (96%) would support a federal law requiring data brokers to remove information upon request.

How familiar are Americans with data brokers and removal services?

Data brokers are companies that collect, aggregate, and sell personal information without users' explicit consent. These kinds of companies have been around for decades, notably rising in prominence in the 1950s with the introduction of credit scores. As more of modern life has moved online, the amount of data that these companies can collect and sell has increased, powering the algorithms that determine the ads and content that appear on our screens.

Most people are aware that data brokers exist, as 92% of survey respondents had at least heard of the concept. That includes more than half (51%) who said they are familiar with data brokers and how they operate.

Much less common is knowledge surrounding data removal services. They serve the inverse purpose of data brokers, scanning people information sites and broker databases to find and remove users’ personal data.

Only 73% of respondents have ever heard of data removal services, and just 35% report being familiar with them. That leaves more than a quarter of users (27%) who were completely unaware that data removal services exist to combat data brokers.

Why most Americans feel powerless over their personal data online

The internet has made it easier than ever for anyone on earth to find previously inaccessible information. Unfortunately, that also includes personal data and identifying information for just about anyone else on the planet, which strangers, hackers, and others can now easily access.

94% of people are at least somewhat concerned about their personal data being online, with 59% very or extremely concerned, and 92% say it causes them at least a little anxiety. Much of that stems from helplessness. More than two-thirds (68%) feel they have little to no control over their information online, a feeling compounded by data brokers who collect and sell it without consent or notice.

When it comes to privacy and user information, certain types of data are a bigger concern than others, with accurate personal details being the most concerning for many. According to an All About Cookies survey, 55% of people want their personally identifiable information, such as birthplace, age, and ethnicity, removed from the internet, and 49% would like to remove their contact information.

Real-world consequences of exposed personal data

The internet is another tool in the arsenal of scammers and fraudsters, criminals who will not hesitate to use any kind of personal information they can to hook and defraud victims.

Unfortunately, many users have firsthand experience with these kinds of bad actors, as 62% of people say they have been the target of a scam or phishing attempt because of data available online, the most common negative consequence of personal info being online.

More than a third (34%) have received unwanted calls from debt collectors or lawyers thanks to brokered data, while a little more than one-in-five users (21%) have been harassed by strangers or fallen victim to identity theft or fraud (which are similar but distinct crimes).

How people are (and aren't) removing their personal data online

While many express concern about the availability of their data and have experienced negative consequences because of it, how many people are actually doing anything about it?

An important first step to combating unwanted data is to know what is actually available for others to find. To that end, nearly half of users, 47%, say that they search for their own name online multiple times per year to see what kind of information comes up. However, far fewer people take further steps to actually get offending data taken down.

Less than one-third of respondents (32%) say they have tried removing their data on their own, something that is typically done by submitting an official request for their information to be removed from databases. For those taking such a step, the results are promising: 67% say they were at least somewhat successful in their quest.

Even fewer have turned to dedicated data removal services to get their data delisted, something just 9% of people have done. Those who have paid for the expertise and resources that come with these kinds of services have found an even greater level of success than those who have taken matters into their own hands, as three-quarters of data removal service subscribers say those services were somewhat or very successful at getting their data taken down.

How much do data removal services cost?

While data removal services are a more specialized market than something like VPNs, there are still plenty of quality options available to consumers. The All About Cookies team has tested and reviewed all popular options to find the best data removal services available.

Many of the top products in the space come with very reasonable costs, as more than 90% of the data removal services we have reviewed cost less than $9 per month. The majority of services (55%) scan at least 200 data broker sites for user data, and the same percentage extend monitoring to the digital nooks and crannies of the dark web and offer family plans that search for and remove data related to multiple people via a single account.

Should data brokers be regulated? 73% of Americans say yes

While users can combat data brokers on their own or with the aid of data removal services, many Americans feel that the government should also take a bigger role in regulating data brokers.

At present, there are no nationwide laws or regulations governing data brokers, leaving any legal protections to individual states. However, it appears that if the federal government were to pass a law regulating how data brokers operate, it would be met with widespread approval. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) said there should absolutely be a federal law requiring brokers to take data down upon request. Additionally, 12% said they would approve of such a mandate but only for certain types of data, and 11% said such a law should probably exist but were unsure how it should work. All told, 96% of respondents expressed some level of approval for such a law.

States with data broker laws

• California: Requires data brokers to register annually with the state and delete all personal information about residents who file an official opt-out request.
• Connecticut: Going into full effect in 2027, requires data brokers to register with the state and puts strict deletion and pricing transparency mandates on businesses that sell or license brokered personal data.
• Oregon: Requires data brokers to register annually with the state and provide an opt-out option for residents.
• Texas: Requires data brokers to register annually with the state, maintain strict data safeguards, and post prominent public notices.
• Vermont: Passed the nation’s first data broker law in 2018, requiring brokers to register annually with the state, provide information about data collection activities, opt-out policies, purchaser credentialing practices, and security breaches.

Notable international data broker laws

• European Union: Data brokers are covered by the broader framework of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under these provisions, personal data cannot be collected or sold without explicit user consent. If data brokers obtain information from a third party, they must inform users where it came from and how they plan to use it. Users also have the right to request to know what data brokers have about them, the right to demand that brokers completely delete all collected data, and the right to opt out or withdraw consent after data collection has begun.
• Canada: Under the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada restricts the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information without user consent.

Advice from the experts

Our survey made it clear that most Americans are concerned about their personal data being available online. To better understand what data removal actually looks like in practice, what the industry gets wrong, and whether removal services can keep pace with an increasingly aggressive data collection landscape, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in.

What are the biggest misconceptions consumers have about data removal services?

When someone requests data removal from a broker site, what actually happens on the backend? How do consumers know if it worked?

As AI scraping becomes more sophisticated, are data brokers collecting information faster than removal services can keep up?

^{Some responses may have been slightly edited for clarity and brevity.}

How to protect yourself from data brokers

Understanding what a data broker is and how they obtain your information is the first step toward taking back some control over your digital presence. Here are some further steps:

• Try removing your data yourself: You can learn how to remove your information from the internet manually. It's time-intensive, but free.
• Use a dedicated service: Our team has tested the best data removal services, including in-depth reviews of DeleteMe and Incogni.
• Consider identity theft protection: Since exposed data often leads to fraud, pairing removal with identity theft protection services provides a stronger safety net.
• Understand your rights: Data broker removal laws vary by state. Knowing what protections apply to you is essential.

Methodology

All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 or older using a survey platform in June 2026.