What Is Data Broker Removal? (And How To Opt Out)

Data broker removal is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect your online privacy, and in many cases, you can do it for free. Data brokers silently track your online activity to build a profile on you, often without your knowledge or consent. They collect your personal information from public records, purchase history, social media, and more, then sell it to advertisers, people-search sites, and even employers.

The result: spam calls, a higher risk of identity theft, and strangers being able to look up where you live, who your family members are, and more.

Most people have profiles on dozens of these databases without realizing it. According to our digital footprint survey, 60% of internet users have parts of their online life they don't want others to find.

This guide explains what data brokers are, why they're a problem, and how to remove your information — whether you prefer to opt out manually or use an automated removal service to handle it for you.

What is a data broker?

Data brokers gather your personally identifiable information from various sources to create a detailed profile of you. They collect data from public records and online behavior. Data brokers then analyze and sell your personal information to third parties. All of this data collection is done without your explicit consent.

While data aggregation isn't illegal, it does lead to several privacy risks. The result can be identity theft, targeted advertising you never opted into, and personal details exposed to anyone willing to pay for them.

Data brokers sell your information to a wide variety of buyers, and they use your information for different reasons. Here's a quick look at who is buying your data and why:

• Advertising and marketing: Personalized advertising and customer segmentation
• Employers and landlords: Background checks for potential jobs or housing
• Debt collectors: Finding your location and assessing your ability to pay
• Retail companies: Building customer profiles and predicting shopping behavior
• Political campaigns: Targeting voters based on their views and behavior
• Bad actors: Implementing scams and other targeted fraud

People-search sites also make your personal details publicly searchable without your knowledge. Anyone can look up your name on Google and find your data.

In the U.S., there are thousands of data brokers selling billions of data elements. Your private information likely exists on dozens of data broker sites.

The lack of federal oversight means there isn't much to stop companies from collecting, buying, or selling your personal details.

There is no single federal law governing data brokers, and the FTC has noted that most consumers are unaware these companies even exist — let alone what they do with their data. For over a decade, the agency has called on Congress to require greater transparency, but no comprehensive federal legislation has been passed.

However, some U.S. states have enacted data broker laws. Vermont was the first state to pass legislation requiring data brokers to disclose their data processing policies. California also passed similar legislation that requires data brokers to honor opt-out requests. Texas and Oregon have also passed similar laws.

Not all data brokers work the same way, and understanding the different types helps clarify what they have on you.

4 types of data brokers

Let's explore the most common types of data brokers and demystify what they do.

1. People search brokers

   People search sites make it easy to look up someone's name and find personal information like birthdays, possible relatives, maiden names, past addresses, property records, bankruptcy information, and social media profiles. Searchable databases can help you find people you know, but many may find the detailed profiles an invasion of privacy. 

2. Marketing and advertising brokers

   Data brokers often collect your data to sell to organizations for marketing and advertising purposes. Brokers create profiles with a person's purchasing behavior, interests, income, and other data. Marketers use the information to create targeted advertising, make spam calls, or send junk emails.

3. Financial information brokers

   Financial information brokers (also known as risk mitigation brokers) focus on assessing the financial risk of an individual or organization. All three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — are risk mitigation brokers. They collect data on your financial history to create a credit report and determine your creditworthiness.

4. Personal health brokers

   Health privacy laws like HIPAA don't apply here. Health brokers have found ways to collect information on a person's health and sell it to healthcare companies. Insurance providers can use the information to determine how much coverage you receive.

How data brokers obtain your data

Even the most cautious web user can still have their personal information taken by data brokers. Here are a few ways data brokers can obtain your data:

• Public records: Birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce records, voter registrations, motor vehicle records, and property records are just a small sampling of personal data available to the public.
• Credit card companies: Credit cards have transaction details that reveal spending habits and payment history.
• Purchase history: Retail and online stores keep records of what you purchase, your payment method, loyalty program participation, and coupon usage.
• Websites you visit: Web browsers have cookies that contain information about your search history, which can reveal your interests.
• Social media: Many sites track your behavior and build profiles of your interests, interactions, and demographic information.
• Mobile apps: Apps often require many permissions to function, but some collect data and sell it to data brokers.
• User agreements: You may unknowingly choose to share personal information that's collected by data brokers — for example, by filling out online forms or by agreeing to terms and conditions without reading the fine print.

What are the risks of data brokers?

Data brokers collect personal data without your explicit consent, and most people have no idea how much of their private information is already out there. That exposure creates real risks:

• Identity theft. Brokers aggregate your name, address, date of birth, and financial history in one place, making it easier for bad actors to steal your identity. Learn about the consequences of identity theft.
• Phishing and scams. Detailed personal profiles make it easier to craft convincing, targeted scams. See how phishing works and how to avoid it.
• Spam and unwanted solicitation. Your contact information is sold to marketers, leading to unsolicited calls, emails, and mailers you never signed up for. Learn more about stopping email spam.
• Price discrimination. Insurers, lenders, and retailers can use data broker profiles to set personalized (and sometimes less favorable) rates and offers.
• Doxxing and personal safety risks. Publicly available profiles can be used to find your home address, family members, or daily routine, putting your physical safety at risk. Learn more about how doxxing works.
• Loss of control over your digital identity. Once your data is in circulation, it's sold and resold. Removing your information from the internet gets harder the longer it goes unaddressed.

What people most want removed from the internet

Most people have something online they'd rather keep hidden. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, All About Cookies found that 60% of internet users have parts of their online life they don't want others to find.

When it comes to what specifically people want scrubbed, personal details like date of birth and ethnicity top the list, followed closely by contact information, which is exactly the kind of data that data brokers collect and sell.

About 4 in 10 people with digital regrets also want photos or videos of themselves removed, and 35% have old social media accounts they'd prefer others not find — a reminder that your digital footprint is often much larger than what you knowingly posted.

What is data broker removal?

Data broker removal is the process of deleting your personal information from databases that collect, store, or sell your data. After your information is removed from data broker sites, you could expect:

• Fewer spam calls and unwanted emails
• Reduced risk of identity theft
• Less of your personal information in search results
• Stronger overall privacy and control over your data

There are two ways to remove your data from broker sites. The first option is to submit opt-out requests to each broker manually. 

The other option is to use an automated data removal service that can request opt-outs on your behalf.

Unfortunately, data removal isn't a one-time fix. Opt-out requests aren't permanent. Data brokers can re-add your information after you've opted out. That means you'll need to monitor data brokers and keep requesting removal when your private details show up again.

Here's what to expect before you get started with the data broker removal process.

Free data broker removal: What to expect

Removing your information from data brokers is free. Every data broker is required to provide an opt-out mechanism, and using it costs nothing. In states like California, Vermont, and Texas, data brokers are also legally required to honor deletion requests under state privacy laws.

The California Privacy Protection Agency's data broker registry and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse's data broker list are two free public resources that can help you identify which brokers are operating and where to submit opt-out requests.

Start with people-search sites. TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, and similar platforms make your name, address, and relatives publicly searchable on Google, which means they're both high-visibility and high-priority. A free data exposure scan can show you exactly which brokers currently have your data before you begin, so you're not working blindly.

The main trade-off with free removal is time. There are thousands of data brokers in the U.S., each with its own opt-out process. Some take a few clicks, others require account creation or a copy of your ID. Working through even the top 50 brokers manually takes several hours across multiple sessions, and the process repeats every few months as brokers re-add your information.

If that feels unmanageable, paid data removal services automate the work, but the free path is a legitimate option for anyone willing to put in the time.

How to manually remove yourself from data brokers

Manually opting out is free. However, contacting each data broker to determine whether they have your data is extremely time-consuming. A more focused approach is to search your name, phone number, and address. The results reveal a list of data brokers with your personal information. For a more in-depth help manual on reducing your online footprint, see our guide to removing your personal information from the internet.

Here are a few other elements to search for to make sure you find all your data:

• Past addresses
• Name changes
• Common name variations

1. Identify data brokers with your information

The first step in manual data removal is to request data removal from the most popular data brokers. Start with people-search sites first since they are publicly searchable.

We have step-by-step instructions for opting out of popular people search sites:

• TruePeopleSearch removal guide
• FastPeopleSearch removal guide
• LexisNexis removal guide
• Whitepages removal guide
• Nuwber removal guide
• Intelius removal guide

You should also include these data brokers: Experian, Equifax, Epsilon, Acxiom, and CoreLogic. Making a list of data brokers that already have your data is the easiest way to start. You can use a free data exposure scan to find them. The scan will locate which brokers have your data. Once you have your list, you can start requesting data opt-outs on broker sites.

2. Use the data broker website to opt out

The general steps to opt out of data broker sites manually look like this:

1. Go to the data broker's website and find the opt-out page. Look for "Do Not Sell My Personal Information," "Privacy Rights," or "Opt Out" in the footer.
2. Fill out the opt-out form with your name, address, and any required identifying fields.
3. Verify your request via the confirmation email.
4. Save a record of each request you submit, including the broker name and date. Most brokers won't notify you when removal is complete, so your own log is the only reliable way to track progress.

For Acxiom, a popular data broker, we had to scroll to the bottom of the website to find "Do Not Sell My Personal Information." Once we clicked the link, we were led to an opt-out form.

The opt-out form requires information such as your mailing address, phone number, email address, and full name. Acxiom needs this information to identify your profile correctly and remove the information. You'll also receive a confirmation email to verify your request.

Sometimes, the data removal process can get complicated. Data brokers may request additional information, require you to create an account, or need a copy of your state-issued ID to confirm your identity. Each data broker has a different process for data removal requests.

Manually deleting your data will take a long time. It may take multiple hours or days to opt out of dozens of sites.

On top of that, most data brokers process requests within 30 to 45 days. Sometimes it can take longer. They also might not send you a notification email if your data was successfully deleted.

3. Check for new updates regularly

Data broker removal is not a one-and-done process. Data brokers can continue collecting new data and uploading it to their databases. You should submit data removal requests at least every three months to keep your data off the databases.

How to use a data removal service

It's a huge task to routinely remove your personal information from data broker sites, but the process is more manageable when you break it down. Here are the 10 steps most data removal services follow, from setup to ongoing monitoring.

The general process for using an automated data removal service looks like this:

1. Look for a data removal service that's transparent about which brokers it covers, how often it re-scans, and how it handles the personal information you provide.
2. Select and purchase a plan. Most data removal services operate on a monthly or annual subscription, so ongoing coverage requires an active subscription. Factor recurring costs into your decision.
3. Create an account and provide your personal details, such as your name, current and previous mailing addresses, date of birth, and phone number. The service uses this information to match and identify your profiles across data broker databases.
4. Review and sign any required authorization agreement. Some services ask you to sign a limited power of attorney or similar form that legally allows them to submit opt-out requests on your behalf. Read it before signing; it should be limited to data removal requests only.
5. The data removal service scans data broker sites for a potential profile and notifies you when it finds one.
6. Review the profiles the service identifies and confirm which ones are yours. Some listings may belong to someone with the same name, so only approve removal requests for profiles that match your information.
7. Depending on the service, it will either submit opt-out requests automatically on your behalf or walk you through submitting them yourself with step-by-step guidance. For fully automated services like Incogni, the service handles everything without requiring you to submit individual requests.
8. If the service offers custom removal requests, use them for any brokers not in its standard coverage list. Some dashboards let you flag specific sites or submit additional opt-outs manually if your information turns up somewhere outside the automated scan.
9. If your plan includes additional privacy tools — such as dark web monitoring, identity theft alerts, credit monitoring, or email masking — take a few minutes to activate and configure them. These features extend your protection beyond data broker removal and are often included at no extra cost depending on your plan tier.
10. Check your dashboard periodically for removal confirmations, pending requests, and any profiles that have reappeared. Most services re-scan on a set schedule (typically quarterly), but it's worth verifying progress yourself.

You can get started with a free data exposure scan from Incogni:

The best hands-off data removal services

If you'd rather not manage opt-outs yourself, a data removal service handles requests on your behalf and monitors for new listings. Incogni covers 420+ data brokers and runs automatically with no manual work required. Aura offers a combination of identity theft protection and data removal services. DeleteMe includes online privacy extras like email masking and phone masking.

For a full comparison of tested options, see our guide to the best data removal services. You can also learn more about how we test data removal services.

Bottom line

Data brokers build a profile with your personally identifiable information, financial assessments, and shopping behavior. Marketers use this data to identify your interests and bombard you with spam emails and calls. Data brokers can also create people search sites that make it easier for people to discover your personal details, like past addresses.

Removing your information from data broker sites can help improve your digital privacy. It's possible to manually request data removal from each data broker site. However, some of the best data removal services can do this automatically, with little to no effort on your part.

For most people, a free data exposure scan is the easiest first step. It shows which brokers have your information, so you know where to start. Using a service can help claim your digital footprint by proactively safeguarding your identity.

Advice from the experts

All About Cookies asked experts to weigh in on data security best practices.

What should your first action item be if your personal data has been compromised?

FAQs