How to opt out of the biggest data brokers — for free
Your name, address, phone, relatives, and habits are sitting in dozens of broker databases right now — and most of them will remove you if you ask. Here's the free way to do it.
11 min read · Jan 2025
Data brokers build profiles from public records, loyalty programs, app permissions, and other brokers. You can't stop collection entirely, but you can remove yourself from the biggest sources — for free, with no subscription.
How brokers get your data
Most data is perfectly legal to collect: court and property records, voter files, warranty cards, and the apps that quietly sell your location. Brokers buy and merge these into a single dossier, then resell it to marketers, recruiters, and anyone who pays.
- —Public records — deeds, licenses, court filings.
- —Commercial data — purchases, subscriptions, loyalty cards.
- —Online activity — app permissions and location pings.
- —Other brokers — they buy from each other constantly.
You can't unplug from the data economy. You can make yourself a much harder target.
Where to start
Begin with the largest people-search sites, since they feed the smaller ones. Removing yourself from the big aggregators has a cascading effect across the ecosystem.
The opt-out process
Each broker has its own form, usually buried in the footer under "Privacy" or "Do Not Sell My Info." Search the broker name plus "opt out," submit the request, and confirm by email. Expect to repeat this for each one — it's tedious but free.
Staying removed
Brokers re-add you over time as new records surface. Re-check the major sites every few months, or use a paid removal service if you'd rather automate the chore. Either way, the first manual pass is the one that matters most.