Online Privacy & Data Brokers

Every time you browse, shop, use an app or sign up for something, you leave data behind. Companies collect it, combine it and sell it. Data brokers build profiles with your name, address, phone, relatives, income estimates and habits, and sell them to marketers, employers, scammers and anyone else who pays. You can’t erase yourself, but you can shrink your footprint a lot.

• Everyone
• Families
• Public-Facing Workers

Who collects your data

• Data brokers gather public records (property, voter, court records), purchase histories, loyalty cards, app data and online activity, then sell reports or lists. People-search websites publish names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and relatives for anyone to see, often for free or cheap.
• Advertising and tracking companies follow you across websites and apps with cookies, pixels, device IDs and browser fingerprinting.
• Apps and devices collect location, contacts, microphone, camera and usage data. See App Permissions.
• Social media platforms track what you do and who you know. See Social Media Privacy.
• Companies you do business with: retailers, banks, insurers, utilities and loyalty programs often share or sell data.
• Smart devices collect video, audio and habits. See Smart Home Devices & Cameras.
• Data breaches leak your information to criminals. See Data Breaches.

Why it matters

• Scams and identity theft: criminals use personal details to craft convincing phishing, impersonation and phone scams, and to answer security questions. See Identity Theft and Phone Scams.
• Stalking, harassment and doxxing: people-search sites make it easy to find where someone lives. See Doxxing & Protecting Your Personal Information and Online Harassment.
• Unwanted calls, mail and spam from marketing lists.
• Pricing, insurance and decisions made using profiles, which can affect offers you see.
• Safety for workers: teachers, healthcare workers, public employees, law enforcement and others may face greater risk if their home address is easy to find.

Reduce what you share

• Share less by default. Give only the information a form needs, and skip optional fields such as birthdate, phone number and address when you can.
• Use email aliases and a separate email for shopping and sign-ups, so that your main email isn’t on every list. Many email providers and password managers can create aliases. See Email Account Security.
• Use a different phone number (such as a free forwarding number) for retailers and forms.
• Lock down social media privacy settings, limit who sees your posts and location, and avoid posting your address, travel plans and children’s details. See Social Media Privacy and Jobsite Photos Online.
• Review app permissions and delete apps and accounts you don’t use. Old accounts leak data when breached.
• Skip loyalty cards or use an alias where the savings aren’t worth the tracking.
• Be careful with quizzes, surveys and free offers, which often harvest personal data.
• Use a strong password for every account and turn on two-factor authentication. See Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication.

Cut down on tracking

• Choose a privacy-friendly browser or settings: block third-party cookies, turn on tracking protection and use private browsing when you don’t want local history. Clear cookies regularly. See Safe Browsing.
• Use the Global Privacy Control setting or extension where available, which tells sites not to sell or share your data. Some state privacy laws require businesses to honor it.
• Limit ad personalization in your Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and social media settings, and reset or delete your advertising ID on your phone. On iPhone, choose “Ask App Not to Track.”
• Use a search engine or settings that don’t keep personal search history, and turn off location history, web and app activity where you don’t need it.
• Think about a VPN for public Wi-Fi, but remember it doesn’t stop accounts and cookies from tracking you. See VPN Basics.
• Choose “reject all” or “only necessary” on cookie banners.

Opting out of data brokers and people-search sites

• Search for yourself. Look up your name, phone number and address on major search engines and well-known people-search sites, with quotes and variations.
• Use each site’s opt-out process. Most have an opt-out page or form (often hidden in the footer) that asks you to find your listing and submit a request, sometimes with email or phone verification. Keep records of each request.
• Expect to repeat. Brokers re-add information, so check back every few months. There are hundreds of brokers.
• Consider a paid removal service if you’re at higher risk or short on time. Check reviews and what they cover, and be wary of services that seem to be selling data themselves. Never pay for a free opt-out.
• Use state privacy laws. Some states give residents rights to know, delete and opt out of sales of their data, and a few have central deletion tools for registered data brokers. Rules and tools vary and change, so check your state attorney general’s website.
• Opt out of pre-approved credit offers at optoutprescreen.com, and the national Do Not Call registry at donotcall.gov, to reduce marketing contacts.
• Freeze your credit with the three credit bureaus (free), which blocks new credit in your name. See Credit Freeze.
• Remove personal information from the internet by asking sites and search engines to delete content, including photos and old posts. Search engines have forms for removing certain personal information from results.

Protecting data you must share

• Use a P.O. box, mailbox service or business address instead of your home address for registrations and public records, where allowed.
• Check domain and business registrations: use privacy options for domain names, and check business filings that list your home address.
• Property records and voter rolls are often public. Some places offer address confidentiality programs for people at risk, such as survivors of abuse or public officials. Ask your local government or an advocacy group.
• Ask before giving your Social Security number and share it only when required. Don’t carry your card. See Identity Theft.
• Shred documents with personal information, and secure your mail.

Online privacy checklist

• I searched for myself and opted out of people-search and data broker listings, and I recheck every few months
• I use email aliases, a separate phone number and a P.O. box or alternative address where possible
• My social media, app and account privacy settings are locked down, and I deleted unused accounts
• I block third-party cookies, limit ad tracking and use Global Privacy Control
• My credit is frozen, and I use strong unique passwords with two-factor authentication
• I know my state privacy rights and how to request deletion

Last updated: October 5, 2026