Data brokers quietly collect, package, and sell your name, address, phone number, and family details to anyone willing to pay. This 2026 guide explains how to opt out of data brokers — the general process that works on almost every site, the highest-priority brokers to remove yourself from first, the brand-new tools that can do it in bulk, and how to keep your information from creeping back.
What Is a Data Broker?
Data brokers are companies that specialize in gathering personal information from public records, commercial sources, and online activity, then aggregating it into detailed profiles they sell to third parties — marketers, insurers, employers, landlords, and, too often, scammers and identity thieves. To understand exactly where they get it, see how data brokers get your information.
A $200 billion industry
The data-broker industry is worth well over $200 billion a year — built almost entirely on collecting and reselling your personal information, usually without you ever knowing.
The General Opt-Out Process
Every broker is a little different, but the overwhelming majority follow the same five-step pattern:
- Find your listing. Search your name (and city/state) on the broker's site and open the profile that matches you.
- Locate the opt-out page. It's usually linked in the footer as “Opt Out,” “Do Not Sell My Info,” or “Privacy.”
- Submit your request. Most forms ask you to paste your profile URL and provide an email address.
- Verify. Confirm via an email link or a phone code — the request usually isn't processed until you do.
- Check back. Re-search in a few days to confirm removal, and watch for duplicate listings.
Brokers make this hard on purpose
Some sites bury the opt-out link, require phone verification, or ask for ID. Never pay to remove your own record — legitimate opt-outs are always free.
The Highest-Priority Data Brokers to Start With
You can't do all of them in one sitting, so start with the most-visited people-search sites — each has its own step-by-step guide:
- Whitepages — one of the oldest and highest-traffic people-search sites
- Spokeo — 18+ billion records from public and social sources
- BeenVerified — popular background-check service
- Intelius — operates several affiliated people-search brands
- Radaris — deep profiles aggregated from many sources
- FastPeopleSearch and TruePeopleSearch — free, no-login sites that expose a lot
For the full landscape, see our overview of how to opt out of people-search sites.
New in 2026: California's DROP and the Delete Act
California residents got a powerful shortcut in 2026. Under the Delete Act, the state's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) opened to consumers on January 1, 2026. It lets a Californian submit a single verified deletion request that applies to every data broker registered in the state — more than 500 of them — instead of contacting each one individually. Registered brokers are required to begin honoring DROP requests by August 1, 2026, and to keep checking the platform at least every 45 days thereafter. If you live in California, registering with DROP is the single most efficient privacy move you can make this year.
Don't live in California? You can still reduce marketing data by opting out through the DMA's DMAchoice service and by exercising deletion rights under your own state's privacy law where one exists.
Why Manual Opt-Out Is So Hard to Keep Up
- There are 100+ sites. Removing yourself from all of them is a genuine project.
- Every site is different. Inconsistent forms, verification, and waiting periods.
- They re-list you. Fresh public records routinely bring your profile back within months.
- It's slow. Each opt-out takes 10–30 minutes, and then you have to police it forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is opting out of data brokers free?
Yes. Every legitimate data broker offers a free opt-out. If a site asks you to pay to remove your own information, that's a red flag.
How long does removal take?
Most brokers process verified requests within 24 hours to a few days; a few take up to 30 days.
Will my information come back?
Often, yes. Brokers continually rebuild profiles from new public records, so opting out once isn't permanent — ongoing monitoring is what keeps you off these sites.
Can I make data brokers delete everything at once?
In California, yes — that's exactly what DROP does. Elsewhere, you currently have to opt out broker by broker or use an automated removal service.
Do I have to opt out of every broker one by one?
Outside California's DROP, largely yes — each broker is a separate request with its own form and waiting period. That's why many people use an automated removal service to cover the long tail and the constant re-listing.
Automate It With PrivacyOn
Given how many brokers there are — and how quickly they re-list you — most people don't have time to do this by hand and keep doing it. PrivacyOn finds your profiles across 100+ data brokers, files the opt-outs for you, and monitors continuously so your information stays removed. Start with the priority sites above, and let PrivacyOn handle the long tail automatically.