Do it yourself
Data broker opt-out guides
Every one of these you can do yourself, for free, in a few minutes. The instructions are the same ones we follow. We publish the ones that teach something — what a broker will demand before it accepts a request, how long it says it takes, and whether California's DROP filing already covers it.
27 guides, drawn from the 151 brokers in our registry that accept opt-out requests. Not a complete list of data brokers — nobody has one, whatever they advertise.
Before you start
- California's Delete Act, and what it can't reach
From 1 August 2026, registered data brokers have to check a state-run list and delete the people on it. Here is what that actually gets you, and where it stops.
- When the form won't submit without your date of birth
A few brokers will not accept a removal request until you hand over a piece of personal information the listing never showed. You find out at the last step, which is the problem.
- The opt-out that isn't finished when you submit it
Fifty-six of the brokers we file with confirm by email. The form says thank you, the email goes to spam, and nothing is ever filed. Submitted and confirmed are different things.
People-search sites
- How to opt out of Addresses.com
- How to opt out of AnyWho
- How to opt out of ClustrMapsDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PeekYouDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PersopoDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PublicRecordsNowDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of RadarisDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of Arrests.orgDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of CheckThemDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of ClustalDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of GoLookUpDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of InmatesSearcherDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of LocateSmarterDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of Mugshots.comDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of National Public DataDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PeopleByNameDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PrivateEye.comDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of SearchbugDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of United States Phone BookDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of VeriPagesDROP doesn't reach this one
Background-check services
Property and location records
- How to opt out of PropertyRadar
- How to opt out of PropertyRec.comDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PropertyRecord.comDROP doesn't reach this one
- How to opt out of PropertyRecs.comDROP doesn't reach this one
Marketing data
- How to opt out of QuantcastDROP doesn't reach this one