ORLANDO, Fla. – Google yourself. Google your spouse. Google your parents, your siblings, and your kids.
I know, right?
Years ago, searching for yourself or your family online might have seemed creepy. Today, experts say it’s essential. A simple search can reveal just how much of your personal information is publicly available – from addresses and phone numbers to relatives and past residences.
And knowing what’s out there is the first step in learning how to remove information everyone else can see.
Ever heard of a data broker? They’ve heard of you.
Data brokers are companies that collect, compile, and sell information. The data can be about a consumer, a business, or even a trend. Much of this information comes from legal public records or consumer activity users voluntarily share online – although many consumers may not realize how extensively that information can be aggregated and resold.
Using information gathered from social media accounts, online purchases, mobile apps, loyalty programs, and connected devices, companies create detailed profiles that can include a person’s age, address history, relatives, shopping habits, estimated income, and even interests or behaviors. You might assume companies collect that information simply to better understand their customers – and you would be partially right. Once a company has your profile, your profile is worth money.
That giveaway for a gift certificate at a children’s store you signed up for? Data sold. A free sample or coupon for filling out an online registration form? Data sold. And that satisfaction survey you spent 2 minutes on because the customer service representative was really nice? You guessed it – data sold.
In 2024, the global data broker market was valued at $277.97 billion. By 2033, it’s projected to reach a market value of $512.45 billion. Fueled by the digitization of medical records, health data is one of the fastest growing segments for data brokers, with unstructured data including Internet of Things (IoT) sensors heavily influencing the market.
The risks go beyond your inbox
Here’s something chilling: I asked an AI chatbot the following question: “How much do data brokers know about consumers?” Here is the response I got:
“Potentially far more than most people realize.”
Well, that was chilling.
It’s one thing for companies and marketers to have this information – it’s another if it falls into the hands of people with less than honorable intentions. Privacy experts say all of this information can become especially valuable in the hands of scammers, identity thieves, and cybercriminals. What’s less obvious – criminals can combine publicly available information with artificial intelligence, social media activity, and data leaks to create highly convincing scams.
A scammer who knows your address, relatives, age, employer, or recent purchases may have an easier time impersonating a bank representative, delivery company, government agency, or even a family member. Older adults can be especially vulnerable because scammers often use personal details to make fraudulent phone calls, emails, or text messages appear legitimate.
According to the FBI, in 2025 elder fraud complaints were up 59% from the previous year. And the damage was real: over 201,000 complaints and $7.7 billion in losses. By the way Florida – congratulations. That same FBI report ranked the Sunshine State 3rd nationally in both complaints (71,843) and total losses ($1.6 billion).
And as AI technology advances, experts warn the risks are growing. Voice-cloning scams, phishing attacks, and impersonation schemes are becoming more sophisticated – and more personal.
Let’s go down a list of some of the things data brokers already know about you (whether you want them to or not):
- Your full name, your previous names, including maiden names, and any aliases
- Your current and past addresses
- Your current and past phone numbers
- Your email addresses
- Where you were born and your date of birth
- Your relatives, your neighbors, and sometimes people you associate with
- Your property ownership records
- Your estimated income
- Your education history
- Your employment information
- Your political donations and voter registration records
That’s the basic stuff and again, a lot of it, but not all, comes from public records. Now the really surprising stuff:
- Your social media activity (from social media accounts)
- Your location and GPS-related data (from your smartphone, tablet, or connected car)
- Online search and browsing behavior (from cookies and cache on your computer)
- Your travel history (from online travel bookings including flights, hotel stays, and rental cars)
- Are you going to be a new parent (that’s called predictive analytics)
- Whether you may be shopping for a home, a car, or insurance
All of the above is a lot to take in, but knowing the risk is half the battle. And yes – there are concrete steps you can take to reduce your exposure.
What can I do?
Experts say the first step is finding out where your information appears online. If you know where to find it, you’re halfway to figuring out how to get rid of it.
Here are a few ways consumers can limit exposure online:
- Search your own name regularly to see what information appears publicly
- Limit the amount of personal information shared on social media
- Review smartphone, tablet, and computer app permissions, especially location access and tracking
- Use multi-factor authentication on important accounts
- Freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) if identity theft is a concern
- Consider using a subscription-based, paid data-removal service
Let’s zero in on that last bullet point, because although it may cost a little money (yes, another subscription!), it is one of the most effective ways to tackle a problem that can easily become overwhelming once you realize just how daunting a task awaits.
Many data broker and people-search websites allow consumers to request removal of personal information through online opt-out forms – although the process can be time-consuming and may need to be repeated regularly. To speed things along, consider using a subscription-based service to help remove your data from dozens of websites automatically.
Here’s a list with ten of the biggest people-search remover services (some actually provide more services beyond removing your information):
Follow this link to a Consumer Reports study that compared eight different people-search removal services. The cheapest: EasyOptOuts at $19.99 a year – the most expensive Optery (Ultimate Tier) at $249 per year. Like everything else in life, before spending money on any internet service, remember to do your homework on any removal website you choose, as their privacy policies vary.
Thinking of skipping paid services and doing it yourself? You can – in fact, the Consumer Reports study found that doing it yourself yielded faster and more reliable results. This link from incogni.com gives you the information for opt out pages for 85 common data brokers.
Some of the biggest: BeenVerified, CheckPeople, ClustrMaps, Dataveria, Intelius, MyLife, Nuwber, PeopleFinders, PublicDataUSA, Radaris, Spokeo, ThatsThem, and Whitepages.
And if you’re looking for a list of the top 100 data brokers: click here.
Last thing to note: some states are pioneering protection of their residents against data brokers. Most notably, beginning on August 1, 2026, Californians can submit a single deletion request with their state government through the DROP program ( Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform) to have their private data removed from more than 500 information sites. Only three other states have data broker laws (Oregon, Texas, and Vermont), but none are in the same class as the California legislation with its universal deletion option.
Your data has value
In today’s digital economy, personal information has become a commodity. It’s why companies collect it, brokers sell it, advertisers target it, and scammers chase it.
And in an economy built on information, knowing what’s out there about you may be one of the most important forms of protection consumers still have.
Most people will never completely disappear from the internet – that may not even be possible anymore. But you can still reduce how much personal information is publicly available by being proactive and taking small steps to limit exposure.
Understanding how your information is collected, shared, and sold can help you make smarter decisions about what to click, share, download, and give away online each and every day.