What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.

Data Brokers Explained

What they are, how they got your information, and why it’s a specific problem for investigators.

What Is a Data Broker?

A data broker is a company whose business model is collecting personal information about people and selling it. They’re legal. They’re everywhere. And most people have never heard of them.

There are thousands of data broker companies operating in the U.S., ranging from massive corporations like LexisNexis and Spokeo to hundreds of smaller “people search” sites. Some sell to businesses. Others are essentially public directories that anyone can query for a few dollars.

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Data brokers pull from a wide range of sources, most of which you never consented to in any meaningful way:

Public records: Property tax records, voter registration, court filings, DMV records, professional license databases, and business filings are all public in most states. Data brokers systematically scrape and aggregate all of it.
Online activity: Websites sell behavioral and identity data to data brokers. If you’ve ever signed up for a rewards program, entered a sweepstakes, or used a free app, that information may have been sold.
Social media: Public social media profiles are scraped for names, locations, employers, and relationship networks.
Other data brokers: They buy from each other. A profile that starts at one broker propagates to dozens of others.
Historical records: Old phone book data, address history, and even obituary information feeds into their databases.

Why Investigators Are a Specific Target

Most people have data broker profiles. Investigators have a heightened risk because of who their adversaries can be.

When you investigate someone — a fraud suspect, a subject of a domestic case, someone with criminal history — that person or their associates may run a search on you in response. Data broker sites make it easy to look up a name and get a home address in under a minute. That turns a professional investigation into a personal security situation.

Beyond targeted retaliation, investigators are also at elevated risk from:

Doxxing: The deliberate publication of your personal information online to harass, intimidate, or endanger you. Data broker sites are the primary source used in doxxing attacks.
Surveillance: Subjects or subjects’ associates may monitor your location, vehicle, or daily patterns if they have your home address.
Professional exposure: In some fields, publicly visible licensing information can be cross-referenced with home address data to identify investigators who work undercover.

What Can You Do?

You can’t eliminate your data broker profiles completely — they get re-listed over time. But you can reduce your exposure significantly by:

Using a removal service that handles ongoing opt-outs across hundreds of brokers — see the Removal Services comparison
Setting up monitoring so you know when your information appears in new places — see the Google Alerts Guide
Running periodic self-searches using Boolean operators to find current listings — see the Boolean Search Tool
Requesting removal from Google’s search index for listings that appear there — see the Google Data Removal Guide

This isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing practice. But the baseline level of exposure for most investigators who do nothing about this is significant — and it’s entirely addressable.