How To Remove Yourself From Data Broker Sites in 2026

How Dangerous Are Data Brokers?

Data brokers collect, package, and sell your personally identifiable information (PII) to anyone who asks for it — from government agencies to marketing firms, and even scammers. 

As Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), explained:

"By selling our most sensitive personal data without our knowledge or consent, data brokers can profit by enabling scamming, stalking, and spying." 

There are three ways to fight back and remove your information from data brokers: manually opt out of each broker’s list, pay for an automated data removal service, or take advantage of your state’s privacy laws. 

Ultimately, for most people, a combination of all three methods (plus a proactive stance on data protection going forward) is the only way to achieve true online privacy. 

Three Ways You Can Remove Your Information From Data Broker Sites

You have three options when it comes to clearing your information from data broker sites, and they aren't mutually exclusive: manual opt-outs, paying for a personal data removal service, and using state privacy laws. Most people get the best results by combining at least two of these methods.

1. Opt out of data brokers manually

Almost every public data broker offers a free manual opt-out process for consumers to request that their information be removed from the broker’s database. 

The issue with this approach is twofold: it takes time (expect to spend 15-30 minutes per data broker), and there’s no guarantee that a broker won’t re-add your information at a later date. 

Manual opt-outs aren’t a realistic option for most people — but they can help you reduce your digital footprint with some of the bigger data brokers out there that aren’t always serviced by automatic data removal providers. 

Here’s where to start: 

• Spokeo: Search for your listing, then submit a removal request at spokeo.com/optout.
• Whitepages: Copy your profile's URL, then submit it at whitepages.com/suppression-requests.
• Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, and US Search: These sites are all owned by PeopleConnect and share one opt-out tool: the PeopleConnect Suppression Portal.
• Radaris: Find your profile at radaris.com/control-privacy, and then follow the removal prompts (expect to repeat this process for each listing tied to your name).
• MyLife: Only residents of states that have privacy laws are able to request deletion by using the MyLife privacy request form.
• BeenVerified: Search your name and state at beenverified.com/app/optout/search, and then confirm the removal by email.
• Acxiom: Submit the opt-out form at acxiom.com/optout; processing can take up to two weeks.

One thing to plan for: this isn't a one-time project. Data brokers can and do re-add your information after their next data purchase or scrape, sometimes within months of a successful opt-out. Treat manual removal as a recurring task. Set a calendar reminder to recheck your listings every few months; this is not a checklist that you complete once.

2. Use an automated data removal service

Automated data removal services submit and track opt-out requests on your behalf across dozens or hundreds of brokers, for a monthly or annual fee. 

Before you compare providers, three terms matter:

• Data brokers covered refers to how many sites a service actively monitors and the number of requests that it submits on behalf of its customers. However, a larger number of brokers covered doesn’t automatically mean better protection because "covered" doesn't always mean "removed automatically."
• Scan frequency is how often the service rechecks whether your data has reappeared and submits a secondary take-down request. 
• Custom removals are manual submissions to sites outside of a service's automated list, usually available only on higher-tier plans. This requires that users find listings on their own and submit them to the service provider. 

How much do data removal services cost? Pricing ranges widely, from free exposure reports (Optery's Free Basic tier) to roughly $67 a month for white-glove service (Privacy Bee's Signature tier). Most individual plans fall between $95 and $180 a year, including those offered by Aura, DeleteMe, and Incogni.

The bigger question: Are data broker removal services worth it? 

For most people, the answer is yes — but with a caveat. These services save significant time and provide ongoing monitoring; however, they can be expensive and aren’t always as effective as advertised. 

A 2024 Consumer Reports study found that some of the top data removal services — including DeleteMe, IDX, Optery, and Kanary — were less effective than manually opting out of broker lists. 

Therefore, a provider’s value also depends on what other features it bundles in alongside data removal. 

For example, Aura pairs data broker and Google search removals with powerful identity theft protection, three-bureau credit monitoring, a full suite of digital security tools, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage for every adult plan member. 

With full-service providers like Aura,, you get online privacy tools and protection against how your exposed data can be used by scammers and hackers. 

3. Use your state's privacy laws

Four states currently require data brokers to register: California, Vermont, Texas, and Oregon. Registries won't remove your data by themselves, but they tell you which brokers operate in your state and offer ways to contact them directly.

The biggest development is in California. The California Privacy Protection Agency's Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) lets residents submit a single deletion request that goes out to every broker registered in the state — instead of submitting the same request dozens of times. 

Beginning in January of 2026, California's Senate Bill 361 also expanded broker disclosure requirements, giving residents more visibility into what these companies actually collect.

Vermont was first to require registration, back in 2019. Texas (SB 2105) and Oregon (HB 2052) followed in 2023. New Jersey, Delaware, and Michigan are developing similar frameworks but haven't finalized them. 

At the federal level, two new proposals, the SECURE Data Act and the Online Privacy Act of 2026, were introduced earlier this year, but both remain in early committee stages, and the United States still has no comprehensive federal privacy law.

The Top Six Data Broker Removal Services Compared

For most people, an automatic data removal service does most of the heavy lifting at a reasonable monthly cost. But deciding which service is right for you comes down to a few factors: coverage, scan frequency, cost, and additional safety features. 

Here's how the major data removal service providers stack up, as of July 2026.

		DeleteMe	Incogni	Optery	Privacy Bee	Cloaked
Price (individual, annual)	$9.99/month ($119.99/year) — using this discount link	$10.75/month ($129/year)	$7.99–$14.99/month ($95–$179/year)	Free–$24.99/month ($0–$249/year)	$8–$67/month ($96–$804/year)	$9.99/month ($119.99/year)
Best for	All-in-one online privacy and identity protection	Dedicated removal service	Broad automated coverage	Free exposure reports	Maximum coverage	Preventing future exposure
Data brokers covered	200+ brokers, plus Google search and junk mail removal	~87 on Standard plan — up to 976 on Business plans	420+ automated; Unlimited tier adds 2,000+ custom removal sites	Scales by tier; up to 645+ sites on the top plan	Up to 1,125 data brokers and people search sites	1,000+ "sites" (including 354 data brokers)
Scan frequency	Daily	Quarterly reports	Roughly every 10–14 days	Varies by tier	Continuous	Ongoing
Additional features	$1 million in identity theft insurance, three-bureau credit monitoring, plus a full suite of device security tools	40 custom removal requests/year (Premium tier: 60/year)	Live phone support on Unlimited tier	Removal only; no bundled security tools	Tracker-blocking browser extension, Google Maps address blur, and human "threat hunting" on top tier	Unlimited email/phone aliases, $1 million in identity theft insurance, VPN, password manager

How to choose the data removal service that’s right for you: 

• Choose Optery if you want to view your exposure for free before committing to anything — you can also use Aura’s free data exposure removal tool to automatically opt out from up to 30 data brokers and see your exposure
• Choose DeleteMe or Privacy Bee if you want a removal-only specialist and don't mind paying more for greater coverage
• Choose Cloaked if preventing new exposure (via masked contact information) matters more to you than cleaning up what's already out there
• Choose Aura if you want data removal bundled with credit monitoring, a VPN, and identity theft insurance — instead of managing separate subscriptions for each service

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company that collects your personal information from public records, apps, and other companies, then packages and sells it — usually without your knowledge or consent. This can include your name and known aliases, home address, purchase history, family information, credit card details, and more.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has identified at least 750 unique data brokers registered across the United States — but that number only accounts for brokers that agreed to register. 

The actual number is likely in the thousands. 

The people search sites you've probably heard of, such as Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified, are the consumer-facing tip of this industry. Most data brokers operate behind the scenes, selling bulk data to marketers, insurers, and background-check companies with which you'll never interact directly. 

The critical point here is that data brokers can sell your information to almost anyone. With your personal information exposed, you’re vulnerable to:

• Criminal exploitation. Scammers and identity thieves use exposed names, addresses, and account details to impersonate you, open fraudulent accounts, and make their scams more convincing.
• Stalking and harassment. People search sites make it easy for an ex-partner, stalker, or harasser to find your home address or workplace by using nothing more than your name.
• Reputational abuse. Old, outdated, or misleading information can resurface in a broker's file and get pulled into a background check run by an employer, landlord, or new acquaintance.
• Excessive spam. Brokers supply contact details to telemarketers — opening you up to numerous spam calls, texts, letters, and emails. 

Can data brokers sell your Social Security number (SSN)? In most cases, yes. The Protect Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (PADFAA) has been in effect since 2024, but it only bans data brokers from selling sensitive data, including SSNs, to entities linked to foreign adversary nations.

Domestic sales of your SSN are still largely unregulated: the CFPB proposed a rule to limit them, but then withdrew it in May 2025. Until that changes, assume your SSN can circulate domestically unless you actively work to remove it from data broker lists. 

How Do Data Brokers Get Your Personal Information?

Data brokers collect personal data by using a combination of scraping tools, online forms, and publicly accessible websites and databases. These data brokerage companies can build detailed dossiers about you from data sources including: 

• Public records. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, voter registrations, and court filings are all fair game.
• Retailers and loyalty programs. Purchase histories and loyalty card sign-ups get bundled and resold.
• Data breaches. Leaked databases circulate for years after the original breach makes headlines.
• Apps and browser tracking. Location data, device IDs, and browsing habits are collected passively, often buried in lengthy legal and privacy policy documents.
• Other data brokers. Brokers buy and resell data from each other, which is why removing your data from one doesn't guarantee removal from the rest.
• You, directly. Every online form, survey, and warranty card that you fill out can become a data source.

Some brokers cross the line from "collecting" to "deceiving." In January 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settled with lead generator Response Tree LLC, which it says tricked consumers into handing over personal information for "mortgage refinancing" offers, and then sold that data to telemarketers who used it for illegal robocalls.

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Data brokers vs. consumer reporting agencies

Data brokers and consumer reporting agencies (CRAs), such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, can look similar: both aggregate personal information from overlapping public records, including bankruptcy filings and court judgments.

The difference is regulation. CRAs are bound by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires a permissible purpose for accessing your report, gives you the right to dispute inaccurate information, and holds the agency accountable for accuracy. 

Data brokers operate under no equivalent federal framework. They can compile and sell your information with far fewer guardrails and little obligation to correct errors. This puts the onus on you to find and remove your sensitive information from data broker sites. 

How To Stop Data Brokers From Collecting Your Data in the Future

Removing your existing listings doesn't stop new ones from forming. One of the best ways to proactively protect your privacy is to minimize the amount of data that you share online. 

Here are a few best practices to follow: 

• Opt out at the source. Skip loyalty programs and rewards cards when you can, and decline optional data sharing on sign-up forms and app permissions.
• Freeze your credit with all three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). A freeze doesn't stop data brokers from collecting information, but it does stop most identity thieves from accessing it to open new accounts.
• Use masked emails and phone numbers for new sign-ups. A password manager or alias tool helps keep your real contact information out of company databases.
• Browse with a VPN. A virtual private network (VPN) hides your browsing activity from your internet provider and from data brokers that buy web-tracking data.
• Delete accounts that you no longer use. Every dormant account provides another place from which your data can leak in the next breach. Aura includes a feature that can automatically scan your inbox for sign-up and welcome messages from services that you no longer use. 
• Review app permissions regularly. Location, contacts, and microphone access are frequently requested for features that you don't use. Turn off what you don't need.
• Read data collection policies before signing up. Review a new app or account's privacy policy for language about sharing or selling data with "third parties" or "partners" before you create your account. Opting out at sign-up is far easier than getting removed later.

Final Thoughts: Data Broker Removal Is Only a Part of the Privacy Puzzle

No single method — whether it includes manual opt-outs, a paid service, or a state registry — permanently removes your personal information from every data broker. 

The realistic approach is layered: knock out the biggest offenders yourself, let a service handle ongoing monitoring, and build habits that slow down the amount of new data that brokers can collect in the first place.

If you're not sure where you currently stand, run Aura's free digital footprint scan to see what's already out there before deciding how much of the removal process you want to automate.