What Is a Data Broker and Why Should You Care?

A data broker is a company that collects your personal information from public records, online activity, purchases, and other sources, then packages it up and sells it. There are hundreds of these companies, and most people have never heard of them. They know your name, address, phone number, email, relatives, political donations, property records, and sometimes even your estimated income. Here is how the industry works and what you can actually do about it.

Last updated March 18, 2026

> What to do

  1. 1

    Understand what data brokers actually do

    Data brokers aggregate information from public records (voter rolls, property deeds, court filings), commercial sources (loyalty cards, purchase history), and online activity (social media, app usage). They combine all of this into detailed profiles and sell access to anyone: marketers, employers, landlords, private investigators, or random strangers.

  2. 2

    Find out which brokers have your data

    Search your name on the biggest people search sites: Spokeo, WhitePages, TruePeopleSearch, BeenVerified, Radaris, and Intelius. Run a people search on EXPOSE to check all the major brokers at once. You will probably find yourself on most of them.

  3. 3

    Start opting out of the worst offenders

    Focus on the sites that show the most information for free. TruePeopleSearch and FastPeopleSearch display full names, addresses, phone numbers, and relatives without requiring payment. These should be your first targets since they are the easiest for anyone to access.

  4. 4

    Reduce the data you feed into the system

    Use a PO Box instead of your home address for voter registration and public filings. Don't give your real phone number to stores and loyalty programs. Use a dedicated email for online shopping. The less data you put into the system, the less brokers can collect.

  5. 5

    Monitor for re-listings

    Data brokers don't just accept your opt-out and move on. Many re-list your information within 3 to 6 months when they get a fresh data update. You need to check back regularly and re-submit removal requests. This is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.

> Why data brokers exist in the first place

The data broker industry exists because personal information is valuable and, in most of the United States, perfectly legal to collect and sell. There is no federal privacy law that stops it. Companies have been buying and selling consumer data for decades, but the internet made it exponentially easier. Public records that used to require a trip to the courthouse are now scraped automatically. Social media profiles are indexed. Breach data circulates freely. Data brokers sit at the center of all of this, turning scattered information into searchable, sellable profiles. The industry generates billions of dollars in revenue every year.

> SCAN_NOW

See what data brokers know about you

Search your name to find your profiles across dozens of data broker sites and see exactly what personal information they are publishing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are data brokers legal?▼
In most of the United States, yes. There is no federal law that prohibits collecting and selling personal information from public records. A few states like California (CCPA) and Vermont require data brokers to register, but the industry is largely unregulated.
How many data brokers have my information?▼
If you have lived in the United States for any length of time, your information is likely on dozens to hundreds of data broker sites. The biggest ones (Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified) are just the tip of the iceberg. Smaller brokers buy data from the big aggregators and republish it.
Do data brokers sell my Social Security number?▼
Legitimate data brokers typically do not sell SSNs directly. However, they sell enough information (full name, date of birth, address history, relatives) that identity theft becomes much easier. And stolen SSNs from breaches do circulate on underground markets.
Can I sue a data broker for having my information?▼
In most states, no. Since the data typically comes from public records and other legal sources, there is no legal basis for a lawsuit. In California, you can request deletion under CCPA, and in some states with new privacy laws, you may have similar rights.
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