Data brokers are among the least loved businesses by anyone who values privacy. If you have ever read about them, you know how much they keep on almost anyone with a file. And who has a file? Just about everyone. Even people who believe they are private because they avoid Facebook and Instagram are not living as privately as they think. This updated guide explains what data brokers are, what they collect, how they profit and, most usefully, how to take back control of your name in 2026.
1. What a data broker actually does
A data broker gathers personal information from many places, cleans and links the records and sells access to the resulting profiles. The core business is simple: information is cheap to collect in bulk and valuable when combined.
There are several kinds of brokers.
| Type | What it sells | Typical buyers |
|---|---|---|
| People-search sites | Names, addresses, phone numbers, relatives, age | The public, investigators, scammers |
| Marketing data brokers | Consumer segments, interests, purchase propensity | Advertisers, retailers, political campaigns |
| Risk and verification brokers | Identity verification and fraud scores | Banks, insurers, landlords |
| Background-check companies | Records for employment or tenant screening | Employers, property managers |
| Location and device-data brokers | Movement patterns from apps and devices | Marketers, analytics firms, sometimes government |
Our overview of everything you need to know about data brokers and the list of the biggest data brokers give more detail on who is who.
2. Where they get your information
Brokers do not need your cooperation. They draw on many sources.
- Public records: property deeds, voter files, court records, professional licenses and marriage or divorce filings.
- Commercial sources: loyalty programs, warranty registrations, catalog and subscription lists, and credit header data.
- Online activity: cookies, mobile advertising IDs and app data.
- Other brokers: many brokers buy from and sell to each other, which is why one listing quickly becomes ten.
- Self-reported information: surveys, contests and sign-ups where you volunteered details.
Read how data brokers sell your identity for a walk-through of the pipeline.
3. Why this puts you at risk
The danger is not that a company holds data, but that the data is packaged, searchable and often cheap. A stranger can type your name and see your address, phone number and relatives. Scammers use the data to make calls and texts sound credible. Harassers and stalkers use it to find targets. Identity thieves use it to pass verification checks. Even legitimate uses, such as marketing and screening, can feel invasive and sometimes rely on inaccurate profiles.
The financial stakes are real. The Federal Trade Commission reported about $15.9 billion in consumer fraud losses for 2025, and the FBI received 1,008,597 complaints. Not all of that traces to brokers, but their data lowers the cost of fraud.
Curious what’s already out there? Wiperts’ 100% Free Diagnosis shows which data brokers are listing your name, home address and phone number. Check your exposure free — it takes about a minute.
4. What the law does and does not do
In the United States, there is no comprehensive federal law that stops data brokers from collecting and selling most personal information. The Fair Credit Reporting Act regulates credit and certain screening reports, and some brokers must comply when they act as consumer reporting agencies. Otherwise, regulation comes from states.
Registries. California, Vermont, Texas and Oregon require data brokers to register, creating a searchable list. See how to look up registered data brokers.
Deletion rights. About twenty states give residents rights to access, correct and delete personal information and to opt out of sales and targeted advertising. Our guide to state privacy laws in 2026 summarizes them.
California’s DROP platform. The Delete Request and Opt-out Platform opened to California residents on January 1, 2026. Registered brokers must begin processing requests on August 1, 2026 and check for new ones on a recurring basis. Use the official site at privacy.ca.gov/drop and read our DROP guide.
For why these gaps remain, see why we cannot stop data brokers from selling our data.
5. How to take back control: a step-by-step plan
- Search yourself. Look up your name plus your city, your phone number in quotation marks and your address. List every site that shows your information.
- Start with the biggest. Prioritize people-search and background-check sites with the most traffic. Our guide to opting out of the most popular people-search sites lists them.
- Use official opt-out pages. For example, Spokeo’s opt-out page, PeopleConnect’s suppression center and That’s Them’s opt-out page are the real forms. Avoid lookalike sites that charge money.
- Confirm and log. Keep a record of dates, confirmations and screenshots.
- Cover relatives and old addresses. Search for family names and prior addresses.
- Request search-result removal using Google’s Results about you tool and Bing’s request form.
- Use DROP if you live in California, and submit rights requests in other states where available.
- Recheck every 60 to 90 days.
The comprehensive version of this process is in the data broker cleanup guide.
6. Why you will need to repeat it
Opt-outs are not a permanent switch. Brokers import new batches of public and commercial records, and your name can reappear. Smaller aggregators that you did not remove may also feed data back into larger sites. That is why successful clearing is a process with a maintenance phase.
A practical rhythm: heavy lifting in month one, a recheck at 30 days, then every 60 to 90 days, with a light annual review of new sites. Keep your log in a spreadsheet so patterns are visible.
7. Myths about data brokers
“They only have public information.” Many hold purchase, location and inferred data that is not public. “If I never sign up for anything, they have nothing.” Property, voter and court records are filed regardless. “Opting out makes me more visible.” Reputable opt-outs remove or suppress records. “It is hopeless.” Removal does not erase you from the world, but it makes you far harder to find.
8. How brokers decide what to show about you
Profiles are stitched together with matching rules. A broker takes a name, an address and a date of birth from a property record, then looks for the same name and similar details in marketing lists, voter files and credit header data. When the match score is high enough, the records merge. That is why a profile can include an old phone number or a relative who shares your surname, and why errors, such as another person’s address, appear in your file. Mistakes are common, but they are rarely harmless: a wrong merge can attach someone else’s court record to your name.
If you find errors in a consumer report used for employment or housing, you have rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how to dispute inaccurate information at consumerfinance.gov. For people-search sites that do not act as regulated reporting agencies, opt-out is usually the practical remedy.
9. What to ask a broker in a rights request
When you send a request under a state privacy law, ask for four things: the categories of personal information the broker holds about you, the sources, the categories of third parties that received it and deletion of the data. Ask them to confirm in writing. Keep your request short and include only the identifiers needed to find your record. If a broker does not respond within the legal period, escalate to your state attorney general and, for California residents, to the California Privacy Protection Agency through cppa.ca.gov.
10. Three scenarios
Scenario 1: You are about to start a new job and want a low profile. Remove address and phone listings from the top sites, and check background-check sites that employers might use.
Scenario 2: You live in California. Submit a DROP request in addition to site-by-site opt-outs, since DROP covers registered brokers and recurs.
Scenario 3: You are being harassed. Prioritize your address and phone number, document everything and consider professional removal. Read defending against online stalking.
11. What to expect: a realistic timeline
| Action | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Searching and listing sites | 1 to 2 hours |
| Opt-outs for major sites | 2 to 4 hours |
| Site processing | Days to 4 weeks |
| Search result updates | Days to several weeks |
| First relistings | Often 1 to 3 months |
12. Common mistakes
- Opting out of only one or two sites.
- Paying a lookalike site to “remove” a free listing.
- Forgetting to remove relatives’ pages that list you.
- Not rechecking after the first round.
- Assuming privacy laws do the work for you.
13. How Wiperts takes control of your name
Wiperts does the repetitive work. It scans more than 100 data brokers and people-search sites for your name, address and phone number, submits the removal requests, requests removal of personal results from Google and Bing, blurs your home on maps and monitors the web 24/7 so relisted data is removed again. Couples and Family plans cover relatives, whose profiles often expose yours.
See which brokers list you today.
100% Free Diagnosis: Check Your Exposure
Find out what data brokers have on you. Enter your details in the free scanner on the Wiperts homepage:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Select State
- Email Address
- Website
Scan Databases Now — no payment is needed to see your exposure report.
14. Key takeaways
- Data brokers profile nearly everyone using records, purchases and online data.
- Laws are improving, with registries, state rights and California’s DROP.
- Opt out of the biggest sites, cover relatives and recheck regularly.
- Monitoring keeps your name clear over time.
Pick the Wiperts plan that fits your household
| Plan | Covers | One-time deep scrub | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | 1 person | $89 | $14/month |
| Couples (most popular) | 2 people | $149 | $24/month |
| Family | Up to 4 people | $199 | $39/month |
Every plan includes removal of your name, date of birth, salary, home address and phone number from 100+ data brokers and people-search sites, Google and Bing search-result removal, home blurring on maps, and 24/7 monitoring that re-removes your data if it reappears. See plans and start your removal
15. Frequently Asked Questions
What is a data broker?
A data broker is a company that collects personal information from many sources, combines it into profiles and sells or licenses it to marketers, businesses, investigators and sometimes the public through people-search websites.
Do data brokers have files on people who avoid social media?
Yes. Brokers rely heavily on public records, purchase data and commercial sources, not just social media, so people who avoid online platforms are still profiled.
Is it legal for data brokers to sell my information?
In most cases yes, because they use public and commercial records. A growing number of states regulate brokers by requiring registration and giving residents deletion and opt-out rights.
How do I get my name removed?
Find your listings, submit each site’s opt-out form, confirm by email where required and recheck regularly. California residents can also use the DROP platform. A removal service can handle the repetition.
Will my data come back after I opt out?
Often yes. Brokers refresh their feeds from public and commercial sources, so relistings are common. Monitoring and periodic rechecks are part of keeping your name clear.
Which brokers should I start with?
Start with the largest people-search sites, since they get the most traffic and are widely copied, then handle background-check sites and marketing data brokers.
Sources
- privacy.ca.gov/drop
- Spokeo’s opt-out page
- PeopleConnect’s suppression center
- That’s Them’s opt-out page
- consumerfinance.gov
- cppa.ca.gov
Related Reading
- Everything You Need to Know About Data Brokers in 2026
- Who Are the Biggest Data Brokers? A 2026 Guide
- How to Clean Up or Delete Data Broker Profiles of You
- How Data Brokers Sell Your Identity: The Supply Chain
- How to Look Up Registered Data Brokers by State
- California Delete Act and DROP: Delete Your Data Broker Records
- Why Can’t We Stop Data Brokers From Selling Our Data?
- How to Opt Out of the Most Popular People-Search Sites in 2026
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