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Core Guide
What Is a Data Broker?
A data broker is generally a business that collects, aggregates, licenses, sells, or otherwise makes information about people available to other companies or the public.
Data broker meaning: a practical example
Imagine finding a listing that connects your name with an old address and relatives. That public-facing listing is one kind of broker product. A company that packages customer segments for marketing is another. The phrase describes an industry, not one universal database.
Common types of data brokers
| Type | What to look for | A useful starting point |
|---|---|---|
| People-search site | A public profile searchable by name, address, or phone. | Find the exact profile and its opt-out process. |
| Marketing data provider | Audience segments or other data sold to businesses. | Read the provider's consumer privacy choices. |
| Identity or risk-data provider | Information used to verify identities or assess risk. | Identify the product and purpose before choosing a remedy. |
Where does the information come from?
Depending on the company and its business model, information may be assembled from public records, commercial sources, online activity, surveys, registrations, purchase behavior, other data providers, or information supplied by businesses you interact with.
What might appear in a broker profile?
Common examples can include names and aliases, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, age ranges, household relationships, property information, and other inferred or compiled attributes.
Why do companies use data brokers?
Uses can include marketing, identity verification, fraud prevention, analytics, risk assessment, research, locating people, and other commercial purposes.
What can consumers do?
Start by identifying the company that has the information, reviewing its privacy or opt-out process, documenting your request, and checking later to see whether the information has been removed or reappeared.
Does a data broker have to contact me first?
You may never have opened an account with the company. In its 2014 industry study, the FTC described brokers collecting and sharing information without dealing directly with the people in their databases.
Start with the problem you can identify
Write down the company, the exact listing or report, and what you want changed. An exposed address, an unwanted marketing profile, and a report used in an application decision are different starting points. Our data brokers vs. consumer reporting agencies guide helps you sort them.