Data brokers collect personal information from public records, companies, social media, and other sources, then package it into searchable profiles. People-search sites are the visible part of a much larger industry.
Does this affect you?
Use this if you live in the United States and found your address, phone number, relatives, age, property records, or other personal details on sites you never joined.
Understand how they got your data
You usually did not hand it to that site directly. The information is assembled from many places.
- Public records are a major source, including property deeds, voter registrations, court records, marriage records, and other filings that are public by law.
- Retailers, apps, websites, and services may share or sell data under privacy-policy terms most people never read closely.
- Social media profiles can be scraped when names, locations, employers, photos, or connections are publicly visible.
- Brokers combine sources, so one profile may merge voter data, property records, old social posts, and commercial data.
- The United States has no single broad federal privacy law for all data brokers. State laws in places such as California and others create opt-out rights, but coverage varies.
Opt out of the major data brokers
There is no universal button for every broker, so start with the sites most likely to appear in search results.
- Search your name and identify the biggest people-search listings, such as Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, MyLife, Intelius, and TruthFinder.
- For each site, search the site name plus opt out and follow its removal process. You may need to find your listing first and submit a form or email request.
- Expect to repeat removals because many brokers re-scrape public data and relist profiles later.
- Consider a paid removal service such as DeleteMe or Incogni if manual requests are too time-consuming. These services submit and track opt-outs across many brokers.
- Check whether your state has a data broker registry or privacy portal. California’s Delete Act is one example of a move toward centralized deletion for registered brokers.
- Freeze your credit separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if identity theft is a concern. Broker opt-outs and credit freezes solve different problems.
More control
Perfect removal is unrealistic
You may not disappear from every broker, but removing the largest listings can significantly reduce what a casual search finds.
Exposure risk depends on your situation
For many people this is a privacy annoyance. For someone facing harassment, stalking, or an abusive ex-partner, removing home-address listings can be much more urgent.
Opt-outs do not replace identity protection
Data broker removal reduces searchable exposure. Credit monitoring, credit freezes, and account security are still the more direct defenses against identity theft.
Sources
- FTC – Data Brokers: A Call for Transparency and Accountability (2014)
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse – Data Broker Opt-Out List (2025)
- California Privacy Protection Agency – DELETE Act / Data Broker Registry (2025)