Data brokers are companies that collect, aggregate, and sell personal information about consumers. There are over 4,000 data brokers worldwide, and at least 2,359 of them operate in the United States. Most people have never heard of them, but they almost certainly have files on you.
The most visible data brokers are people-search sites like Spokeo, WhitePages, TruePeopleSearch, and BeenVerified. These sites let anyone look up your name, address, phone number, age, relatives, and sometimes even your estimated income and political affiliation. But people-search sites are just the tip of the iceberg.
Behind the scenes, massive data aggregators like Acxiom (which maintains records on 2.5 billion consumers), Harte Hanks (240 million profiles with 1,200 data attributes each), Oracle Data Cloud, and Epsilon collect and sell far more detailed information, including purchase history, health inferences, financial data, and behavioral profiles.
Data brokers may have any or all of the following information about you:
When OneRep scanned for a single individual, it found 199 profiles across 122 data broker sites. The exposed data included SSN, criminal records, bankruptcies, property records, and 40+ other categories. This level of exposure is typical for most Americans.
Data brokers collect your information from dozens of sources, most of which you have no control over:
You can remove your information from data brokers for free. The catch? It is extremely time-consuming. Each broker has a different opt-out process, and there are thousands of them.
Start by searching your name on major people-search sites to see what is exposed. You can use the free Search Yourself tool on our homepage to check 15 major sites instantly, or manually visit each one.
Each data broker has a different removal process. Some common patterns:
Credit bureaus sell your information to companies that send prescreened credit card and insurance offers. Visit OptOutPrescreen.com to stop these for 5 years. The permanent opt-out requires a mailed form.
Register your phone number at DoNotCall.gov to reduce telemarketing calls. This does not stop scam calls, but it gives you legal standing to file complaints.
Your bank is legally allowed to share your financial data with third parties unless you tell them not to. Write an opt-out letter to every financial institution you use.
Doing all of this manually for 2,359 data brokers takes an estimated 100-200 hours. And because brokers re-collect your data from public records every 30-90 days, you would need to repeat the process quarterly to maintain your privacy.
Several services automate the data broker removal process. Here is how the major services compare:
The key differentiator is coverage. A service that covers 180 brokers leaves 2,179 brokers untouched. Your data remains exposed on the vast majority of sites. See our complete data broker directory for the full picture.
Modern connected vehicles collect driving speed, location, braking patterns, acceleration data, and even cabin audio. At least 15 major automakers have been caught selling this data to insurance companies and data brokers. GM's OnStar program collected driving data and sold it to LexisNexis, which then sold it to insurers who used it to raise premiums.
Kroger, Walmart, Target, and other major retailers sell your purchase history to data brokers. Your shopping habits can reveal health conditions, financial status, pregnancy, dietary restrictions, and lifestyle details you never intended to share.
Federal agencies including the FBI, DHS, ICE, and NSA purchase personal data from brokers rather than obtaining warrants. The FBI spent $27 million on a Babel Street contract. DHS has a $1 billion Palantir contract. This practice exploits a loophole where commercially available data does not require Fourth Amendment protections. 80% of Americans support requiring warrants for these purchases.
Most people know about the three major credit bureaus, but there are actually 37+ consumer reporting agencies that may have files on you, including employment screening companies, check verification services, insurance risk databases, and specialty reporting agencies.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to request a full disclosure of every file these agencies have on you. Many of these files contain errors that could be costing you jobs, insurance, housing, and credit. Vigilant Privacy automates the disclosure request process for all 37+ agencies.
Removing your data once is not enough. Data brokers continuously re-collect your information from public records, retail purchases, app data, and other sources. A profile you removed today can reappear within 30-90 days.
This is why one-time removal services are not effective. Effective privacy protection requires:
Here is what to do right now to start removing your personal information from the internet:
Vigilant Privacy handles all of this for $9.95/month. We remove your data from 2,359 brokers, request your consumer reports from 37 agencies, and automate credit disputes. Start your free 7-day trial today.
Start Your Free TrialNo credit card required. Cancel anytime. We never sell your data.