What is a data broker?
Definition
A data broker is a company that collects personal information about people from many sources and sells or licenses it to others, even though those people never dealt with the company directly.
- Category
- Data
- Also called
- data brokers, people-search site, data aggregator
- Last updated
The California Privacy Protection Agency describes a data broker as a business that collects personal information about consumers from various sources and sells that information to other companies, even when the consumer did not interact with the business for its products or services. The information it collects and sells may include Social Security numbers, precise geolocation, health-related information, browsing history and more.
How data brokers get your data
Brokers pull from public records (property, court, voter files), purchases and loyalty programs, app and website tracking, and other brokers. They then merge it into one profile per person.
Who buys it
Advertisers, marketers, lenders and insurers buy it. So do people-search sites, a kind of data broker that sells lookups to anyone, often for free or a few dollars. A stranger can type your name and see your address, phone number, age and relatives.
An example
You fill in a warranty card, buy a house and sign up for a store loyalty card. Three separate records, three separate companies. A broker buys all three, matches them to your name and sells one profile with your address, purchases and household details.
Why it matters
Profiles feed spam calls, scam texts and targeted ads. In the wrong hands they enable stalking and identity theft. See also doxxing.
Registries and deletion rights
Some places make brokers register. California requires data brokers to register every year with the state's privacy agency. California residents can also use the state's DROP tool to send one deletion request to all active registered data brokers, which brokers must start processing from 1 August 2026. Other places rely on each broker's own opt-out form.
How to protect yourself
- 1
Opt out of the sites that list you
Each broker has its own opt-out form. Our data broker guides walk through the major ones. Listings often come back, so recheck every few months.
- 2
Use California's DROP if you live there
California residents can submit one deletion request to all registered data brokers through DROP.
- 3
Let Serus do the repeat work
Serus finds the data brokers that operate where you live, removes your listings and files again when data reappears.
- 4
Cut what flows in
Skip optional fields on forms, say no to loyalty-card data sharing where you can, and review app permissions.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
Is it legal for data brokers to sell my data?
Generally yes, in many places, within limits. Rules differ by country and state, and some give you the right to opt out or ask for deletion.
How do I find out which data brokers have my information?
Search your name and look for people-search results, and check a state registry such as California's. Serus finds where you are listed.
Are data brokers the same as people-search sites?
People-search sites are one kind of data broker, the kind that sells lookups of individuals to the public.
How do I remove myself from a data broker?
Use the broker's opt-out form, or in California the DROP tool. Expect to repeat it, as listings reappear.
Sources
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