For most American families, the assumption is simple: if you haven’t posted something online, it isn’t there. But the reality is far more unsettling. Hundreds of data broker companies operate largely out of public view, compiling exhaustive profiles on individuals and their family members—profiles that include home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, estimated income, political affiliations, and even the names and ages of children living in a household. The market for this personal information is vast, profitable, and, for the most part, entirely legal.
A recent report from 9to5Mac highlighted the growing urgency for families to take proactive steps in removing their private data from the internet, noting that data brokers collect and sell personal information scraped from public records, social media, purchase histories, and other digital footprints. The piece underscored that while individuals may be aware of their own exposure, the vulnerability of family members—especially children and elderly relatives—often goes unaddressed.
A Billion-Dollar Industry Built on Your Personal Information
The data brokerage industry generates an estimated $200 billion or more in annual revenue in the United States alone, according to industry analyses. Companies like Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, and PeopleFinder aggregate records from thousands of sources, including court filings, property records, voter registration databases, and commercial transactions. The resulting profiles are sold to marketers, insurance companies, employers, landlords, and in some cases, individuals with less benign intentions.
What makes this industry particularly difficult to combat is its fragmentation. There is no single database to opt out of. According to the 9to5Mac report, the average person’s data may appear on dozens or even hundreds of broker sites, each with its own removal process. Some require written requests; others demand identity verification that itself involves sharing more personal data. The process is time-consuming, repetitive, and often temporary—brokers frequently re-list individuals within months of a successful removal.
Children and Elderly Family Members: The Most Vulnerable Targets
While adults may have some awareness of their digital exposure, children represent a uniquely vulnerable population. Data brokers can compile “shadow profiles” on minors based on their parents’ records, school enrollment data, and even pediatric health information that has been improperly shared or breached. The Federal Trade Commission has flagged this as a growing concern, and several state attorneys general have launched investigations into how children’s data is harvested and sold.
Elderly family members face a different but equally serious risk. Seniors are disproportionately targeted by scammers, and the availability of detailed personal information on data broker sites makes them easier marks. A phone number, a home address, the name of a spouse or child—these are the building blocks of social engineering attacks that cost older Americans billions of dollars each year. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans over 60 lost more than $3.4 billion to online fraud in 2023, a figure that has been climbing steadily.
The Patchwork of Privacy Laws Leaves Families Exposed
The United States lacks a comprehensive federal data privacy law comparable to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Instead, Americans are subject to a patchwork of state-level regulations that vary widely in scope and enforcement. California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its successor, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), provide residents with the right to request deletion of their personal data from commercial databases. But enforcement is uneven, and many brokers operate from states with minimal privacy protections.
Several states have moved to strengthen their laws in recent years. Texas, Oregon, and Connecticut have all enacted or expanded consumer privacy statutes, and bills are pending in more than a dozen additional states. However, privacy advocates argue that without federal legislation, the burden remains on individual consumers to police their own data across an enormous and constantly shifting marketplace. The 9to5Mac article pointed to this regulatory gap as a key reason why automated data removal services have become increasingly popular among privacy-conscious families.
Automated Removal Services: A Growing Market With Its Own Risks
Services such as DeleteMe, Incogni, Kanary, and Privacy Duck have emerged to fill the gap left by inadequate regulation. These companies charge annual subscription fees—typically ranging from $100 to $250 per person—to systematically submit opt-out requests to data brokers on behalf of their clients. Some offer family plans that cover multiple household members under a single subscription.
The appeal is obvious: rather than spending dozens of hours manually submitting removal requests, consumers can outsource the process. But experts caution that these services are not a silver bullet. Not all brokers honor automated opt-out requests, and some services are more thorough than others. Consumer Reports has noted that the effectiveness of removal services varies significantly, and that users should verify results independently rather than relying solely on the service’s own reporting. Additionally, subscribing to a removal service requires handing over the very personal data you are trying to protect—a tradeoff that deserves careful consideration.
Practical Steps Families Can Take Right Now
Beyond paid services, there are concrete actions families can take to reduce their exposure. The first step, as outlined in the 9to5Mac report, is to conduct a thorough audit of what information is already available. Searching your own name, address, and phone number on major broker sites provides a baseline understanding of your exposure. From there, families can begin submitting opt-out requests directly to the most prominent brokers.
Other recommended measures include freezing credit reports for all family members, including children—a step that is free and can prevent identity theft. Parents should also review the privacy settings on their children’s school accounts, gaming platforms, and social media profiles. For elderly relatives, setting up fraud alerts and limiting the amount of personal information shared over the phone or via email can provide an additional layer of defense. Privacy experts also recommend using a P.O. box or virtual mailbox for public-facing records like voter registration and property ownership, which are among the most common sources of data broker information.
The Corporate Dimension: Employers and Insurers Are Watching
The implications of widespread data brokerage extend beyond consumer fraud. Employers increasingly use background check services that draw on broker databases, meaning that inaccurate or outdated information can affect hiring decisions. Insurers use similar data to assess risk and set premiums. A 2024 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned that the accuracy of data broker records is often poor, with outdated addresses, incorrect associations with criminal records, and misattributed financial information appearing with troubling frequency.
For families, this means that the consequences of inaction are not limited to spam calls and junk mail. Inaccurate data broker records can affect a family member’s ability to rent an apartment, secure employment, or obtain affordable insurance. The stakes are material, and the responsibility for correcting errors falls almost entirely on the individual consumer.
What Comes Next for Data Privacy in America
The political momentum for federal privacy legislation has grown in recent years, though progress remains slow. The American Privacy Rights Act, a bipartisan proposal introduced in Congress, would establish national standards for data collection and give consumers the right to opt out of data sales. However, the bill has faced opposition from industry groups and disagreements over federal preemption of state laws. As of early 2026, its fate remains uncertain.
In the meantime, the burden of protecting family data falls on individuals. The tools and services available today are more sophisticated than they were even a few years ago, but they require ongoing attention and investment. For families willing to put in the effort, the payoff is significant: reduced exposure to fraud, fewer unsolicited contacts, and a measure of control over information that, in many cases, was collected without consent in the first place. The question is not whether your family’s data is out there—it almost certainly is. The question is what you intend to do about it.