Data broker opt-out: How retirees can protect their data

In June 2025, Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were murdered in a targeted attack. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously injured in a separate shooting. Investigators discovered notebooks containing the names of public officials and a handwritten list of 11 people-search websites in the suspect's vehicle. Vance Boelter pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 40 years in federal prison.

Data broker risks

Data brokers collect information from public records, online activity, commercial databases and other sources, combining them into profiles that businesses and individuals may purchase or access. These profiles may include current and previous home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, age, birth date, marital status, names of relatives, property ownership, employment history, and financial or health-related inferences.

For retirees, exposed personal information creates significant risks. Scammers can use publicly available details to make their stories more convincing, potentially leading to financial scams, home safety threats, Medicare fraud, family impersonation scams, and unwanted spam calls.

Opt-out process

You can request removal from many people-search websites for free. Start by searching for yourself online and identifying which sites have your information. Save the website addresses and find each site's removal instructions, typically labeled "Opt Out" or "Remove My Information." Submit your removal request following the company's instructions, which may require identity verification.

California residents have an additional option through the state's free Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which allows eligible residents to submit one deletion request to more than 600 registered data brokers. The system requires recurring checks for matching information, though removal is not immediate.

Professional removal services

Data removal services can handle the process of contacting dozens of websites on your behalf. These services help identify data brokers that may have your information and submit removal requests. Features may include automated removal requests, recurring monitoring, progress reports, and custom removals for multiple personal details.

Before subscribing to a data removal service, compare which websites each service covers, its removal process, ongoing monitoring features, and subscription costs. Some providers offer family plans that cover multiple household members.