Data Broker Opt-Out Instructions
See also:
- Yael Grauer’s comprehensive opt-out list via Motherboard
- PrivacyDuck’s comprehensive opt-out list
- Report FTC violations
I've compiled a list of data aggregators, data brokers, direct marketing firms, and others who trade personal data. Many of these are very quickly dealt with via web forms, but others require a letter and a copy of a photo ID. Many of the data brokers came from my notes, but others have come from discussions with other researchers and anti-data mining projects like stopdatamining.me. All sources were fairly out of date, so I've gone through and listed the current contact info and process for each. Feel free to pass it along and let me know if there are any errors or omissions. ^_^
When you look at the list of data brokers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you only have a little time to spend on this, I recommend:
- Look at Spokeo.com, and ask for any records on you to be removed via their web form.
- Opt-out at the Direct Marketing Association (many companies use this list to automatically remove people).
- Remove unused apps from your phone and social media accounts to limit data loss.
Privacy reminder: Other than credit reporting agencies such as Equifax, no one should ask for your social security number or tax ID while opting out. When sending a copy of your ID, mark out the ID number and draw a line across the photo.
This should be an app!
I'm currently working on an app that will guide people through the process, taking into account how much time they have to spend on it. While I wish it were possible to automate the opt-out process, most (all?) of these data broker sites have bot-detection, which makes automation impossible. The goal is to make it as easy as possible, and ideally reduce the time required to be as little as possible.
2018: Motherboard article comes out
2017: Gave a talk at the Berkman Klein Center on data brokers
2016: Compiled the original list
License
Public domain, CC0. Spread this info!
Contact
Please send updates to Griffin Boyce: [email protected]