Data brokers collect and sell personal information, but not all of them operate the same way. While both public and non-public data brokers handle your data, the urgency of removing your information is significantly higher with public brokers, also known as people-search sites.
Here’s why:
1. Public data brokers expose your information to anyone
People-search sites collect data from various sources—such as public records, social media, and marketing databases—and compile individual profiles that disclose your home address, relatives, income range, assets, hobbies and interests, political and religious affiliations, legal records, and other sensitive details. These profiles are openly published on brokers’ websites and are easily accessible to anyone online. Additionally, people-search sites are often indexed by search engines like Google and AI tools like ChatGPT, meaning anyone can find your information within seconds with just a name.
By displaying your information without restrictions, people-search sites become a goldmine for bad actors looking to exploit personal data for stalking, phishing, scams, financial fraud, and even identity theft.
In contrast, non-public data brokers restrict access to specific entities, meaning their data isn’t openly searchable by individuals.
2. Public data brokers are unregulated
People-search sites operate with little to no regulation. This means:
- They don’t verify the accuracy of the data they publish, often leading to misinformation, such as criminal records being mistakenly linked to the wrong person.
- They are under no obligation to correct inaccuracies or outdated details.
- They cannot control who accesses their data or for what purpose. Since many people don’t verify the accuracy of information before making assumptions, misinformation can damage your reputation and prospects.
Non-public data brokers, on the other hand, are often subject to industry regulations. For example, credit bureaus and background check services must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which gives individuals the right to dispute inaccuracies.
3. Removing data from public brokers is actionable
Most people-search sites offer opt-out procedures. Though often tedious, they allow you to request the removal of your personal information.
Unlike non-public data brokers that don’t have openly searchable directories, public brokers allow search by name, phone number, address, and other identifiers. This means that you can look up different combinations of your details and find all the exposed profiles, even those containing outdated or incorrect information.
While opting out doesn’t erase your data from the internet entirely, it significantly reduces its visibility and accessibility, which in turn lowers the risk of misuse.
Conclusion: prioritize public data broker removal first
Public data brokers pose a greater threat to privacy and security because they make personal information easily searchable and lack accuracy and regulation over the data they publish. By prioritizing removal from public data brokers, you significantly reduce your online exposure protect your privacy, and lower the risk of scams, fraud, and misuse of your personal data.
Once public brokers are addressed, additional steps can be taken to manage data held by non-public ones, depending on individual concerns and circumstances.