Data Broker Opt-Out Difficulty Index: 90 Brokers Audited
OfflistMe manually audited the opt-out process of 90 US data brokers and scored each on difficulty, removal speed, and verification demands. The result: 7% may demand an ID or supporting document, the median removal takes 30 days, and 27 brokers rate Hard or Very Hard, typically because of account walls, ID uploads, or forms that silently fail. The full per-broker table is below, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Brokers audited
90
May require ID
7%
Median removal time
30 days
Hard / Very Hard
27
How difficult is opting out?
Distribution of the 90 audited brokers across the 1–5 difficulty scale. Most opt-outs are genuinely doable in minutes — the problem is the long tail of brokers that add account walls, ID demands, or broken forms.
How long removals take
29%
72 hours or less
17%
4–14 days
50%
15–30 days
4%
Over 30 days
Based on each broker’s typical processing time as observed in our audits and stated policies. Removal is not permanent anywhere: brokers re-ingest public records every 60–180 days, so profiles can reappear and need re-checking. Why data reappears →
The 27 hardest brokers to opt out of
| Broker | Difficulty | Typical removal time | ID may be required | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Checkmate | Very Hard (5/5) | 5–7 days | Yes | Steps → |
| Intelius | Very Hard (5/5) | 7 days | Yes | Steps → |
| LexisNexis Risk Solutions | Very Hard (5/5) | 24–72 hours to process the request | Yes | Steps → |
| The Work Number (Equifax Workforce Solutions) | Very Hard (5/5) | 24–72 hours | Yes | Steps → |
| Acxiom | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Asset International (ISS) | Hard (4/5) | 7–14 days | No | Steps → |
| CheckPeople | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Civil Data Research (SearchPublicRecords) | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | No | Steps → |
| CoreLogic | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Data Axle | Hard (4/5) | 9 days | No | Steps → |
| Dun & Bradstreet | Hard (4/5) | 30–60 days | Yes | Steps → |
| Epsilon | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Equifax | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days for marketing opt-out; freeze is immediate | No | Steps → |
| Experian | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days for marketing; freeze is immediate | No | Steps → |
| Information Data Resources (PublicInfoServices) | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | No | Steps → |
| InstantPeopleFinder | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| KidsLiveSafe (Scalable Commerce) | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | No | Steps → |
| MyLife | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| National Data Analytics (PublicDataCheck) | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | No | Steps → |
| Pacific East Research | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | No | Steps → |
| PeekYou | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| PeopleSmart | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| PublicRecords | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Spokeo | Hard (4/5) | 2–3 days | No | Steps → |
| That'sThem | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| US Search | Hard (4/5) | 14–30 days | No | Steps → |
| Whitepages | Hard (4/5) | 24–72 hours | Yes | Steps → |
Full index: all 90 audited brokers
Sorted hardest-first. Every row links to the step-by-step removal guide for that broker. Dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — cite “OfflistMe Data Broker Opt-Out Difficulty Index” with a link to this page.
| Broker | Difficulty | Typical time | ID | Email channel | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Checkmate | ●●●●● 5/5 | 5–7 days | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| Intelius | ●●●●● 5/5 | 7 days | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| LexisNexis Risk Solutions | ●●●●● 5/5 | 24–72 hours to process the request | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| The Work Number (Equifax Workforce Solutions) | ●●●●● 5/5 | 24–72 hours | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| Acxiom | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Asset International (ISS) | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| CheckPeople | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Civil Data Research (SearchPublicRecords) | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| CoreLogic | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Data Axle | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 9 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Dun & Bradstreet | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 30–60 days | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| Epsilon | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Equifax | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days for marketing opt-out; freeze is immediate | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Experian | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days for marketing; freeze is immediate | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Information Data Resources (PublicInfoServices) | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| InstantPeopleFinder | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| KidsLiveSafe (Scalable Commerce) | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| MyLife | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| National Data Analytics (PublicDataCheck) | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Pacific East Research | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeekYou | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleSmart | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PublicRecords | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Spokeo | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 2–3 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| That'sThem | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| US Search | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Whitepages | ●●●●○ 4/5 | 24–72 hours | Yes | Yes | Steps → |
| Address Clearing House (ACH) | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Aristotle International | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Backgrounds Online (IQ Data Systems) | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| BeenVerified | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 24 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Best Pick Reports | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| CityData.AI | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Clearview AI | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| CourtRecords.us | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 2–15 business days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Crunchbase | ●●●○○ 3/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Dealfront (Leadfeeder) | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Electronic Voice Services (TelephoneLists.biz) | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Findem | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| FreePeopleSearch.com | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| GitHub | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7-14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| InCheck Solutions | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Kochava | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| LiveRamp | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 30–45 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Marriott International | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Merkle | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 30–45 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Nielsen | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 30–45 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| NumberGuru | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| NumLookup | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Oracle Advertising (Data Cloud) | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| People Data Labs | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleFinders DaaS | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleWhiz | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PrivateRecords | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PublicRecord.com | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Radaris | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 1–2 weeks | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Reunion.com | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| RevContent | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Share Local Media | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| SpyCloud | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| TelephoneDirectories.us | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 7–14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| TruthFinder | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 5–7 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| USPeopleSearch | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| ZS Associates | ●●●○○ 3/5 | 14–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| AddressSearch | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Centeda | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Clearbit | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Cognism | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Datanyze | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| FindPeopleSearch | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| FreePeopleDirectory | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Kaspr | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| LeadIQ | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Lusha | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 3–30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| NeighborWho | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Ownerly | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleFinder | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleFinders | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleLooker | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| PeopleSearchNow | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Quora | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 7-14 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| RecordsFinder | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| RocketReach | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Seamless.ai | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| StateRecords.org | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| TransUnion | ●●○○○ 2/5 | Freeze is immediate; marketing opt-out 24–48 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| Unmask | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 5–7 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| UpLead | ●●○○○ 2/5 | up to 30 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
| USA-People-Search | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 72 hours | No | Yes | Steps → |
| VeriPages | ●●○○○ 2/5 | 4 days | No | Yes | Steps → |
Methodology
Each broker in this index has a dedicated removal guide maintained by OfflistMe. To build a guide, we walk the broker’s live opt-out flow end to end and record: the number of steps, whether account creation or an identity document is demanded, CAPTCHA and email-verification friction, the stated and observed processing time, and whether the profile actually disappears.
The difficulty score is ordinal, 1 (Very Easy: single form, no verification beyond email) to 5 (Very Hard: account walls, ID upload, mail-in requests, or flows that silently fail and require escalation). Typical removal time is the broker’s normal processing window; best- and worst-case ranges appear on each broker’s guide page. Entries are re-audited when guides are updated; this page recomputes automatically from the underlying dataset on every build.
Limitations: difficulty is scored for a US resident using the broker’s standard consumer flow. Timelines reflect normal processing, not disputes or escalations under state privacy laws.
Frequently asked questions
Which data brokers are the hardest to opt out of?
Of the 90 brokers audited, 27 rate Hard or Very Hard (4–5 on our 5-point scale): Instant Checkmate, Intelius, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, The Work Number (Equifax Workforce Solutions), Acxiom, Asset International (ISS), and others. Common friction: mandatory account creation, ID upload demands, mail-only requests, or opt-out forms that silently fail.
How long does data broker removal take on average?
Across the 90 audited brokers, the median typical removal time is 30 days. 26 brokers (29%) process removals within 72 hours, while 49 (54%) take longer than two weeks.
How many data brokers require ID to opt out?
6 of the 90 brokers audited (7%) may request a government ID or supporting document before honoring a removal request. Redact the photo, ID number, and any data not needed to verify your identity before uploading — CCPA requires only reasonable verification.
How is the difficulty score calculated?
Each broker is scored 1 (Very Easy) to 5 (Very Hard) from a manual audit of its live opt-out flow: number of steps, whether an account or ID is demanded, CAPTCHA and email-verification friction, processing time, and whether the request actually results in removal. Scores are re-checked when guides are updated.
Can I use this dataset in my own article or research?
Yes. The table is downloadable as CSV and licensed CC BY 4.0 — cite "OfflistMe Data Broker Opt-Out Difficulty Index" with a link to this page.
Skip the hard ones
The 27 hardest brokers are exactly the ones automated removal helps most with. OfflistMe covers 500+ brokers in one session — one-time payment, no subscription, no ID upload.