How to Remove Your Data from KochavaStep-by-Step Guide 2026
The mobile-ad data broker whose location-data sales prompted a landmark FTC lawsuit in 2022. This guide covers the exact steps to remove your personal information, what documents they may request, and what to do if the removal fails.
What is Kochava?
Kochava is a mobile app-analytics and advertising data broker founded in 2011. Its core product is the Kochava Collective, a marketplace of mobile advertising IDs (Apple IDFA and Google GAID) that are packaged into behavioral segments and sold to advertisers. Kochava became widely known in 2022 when the Federal Trade Commission sued the company under FTC Act § 5, alleging that its sale of precise geolocation data linked to mobile ad IDs enabled tracking of visits to sensitive places like reproductive health clinics, places of worship, and domestic violence shelters. The case was dismissed and then refiled; it is ongoing as of 2026.
Data Kochava collects about you
- •Mobile advertising IDs (Apple IDFA, Google GAID)
- •Precise geolocation history (from mobile app SDKs)
- •App install and usage history
- •Device model, OS version, and IP address
- •In-app purchase categories
- •Behavioral segment memberships ("frequent traveler," "college student," etc.)
- •Cross-device linkage (phone ↔ tablet ↔ CTV device)
Why Your Data Appears on Kochava
Kochava's data comes overwhelmingly from mobile apps that embed the Kochava SDK. If you have used any of the thousands of apps that use Kochava for install-attribution or post-install analytics , a list that includes many popular free games, shopping apps, and media apps , your mobile advertising ID, app-session logs, and geolocation pings have been routed through Kochava's pipeline. You do not need to have installed a "Kochava app" , the SDK operates inside host apps without user-visible branding.
Where Kochava gets your data
- →Kochava SDK embedded in 15,000+ partner mobile apps
- →Real-time bidding (RTB) data stream partnerships
- →Commercial geolocation data providers (e.g., X-Mode/Outlogic prior to 2022)
- →Publisher-side header-bidding integrations
- →Cross-device graph partnerships
- →Direct app-developer data uploads to the Kochava Collective
Step-by-Step: How to Remove Your Data from Kochava
The opt-out process is free. Estimated time: 30 days for removal to take effect after completing these steps.
Find your mobile advertising ID
Kochava's file is keyed on mobile advertising IDs. On iOS, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking and temporarily toggle "Allow Apps to Request to Track" on, then use an IDFA-viewer app (search "My Advertising ID" on the App Store) to reveal your current IDFA. On Android, go to Settings → Google → Ads → Your advertising ID. Copy it down , you will need it in step 3.
Go to Kochava's opt-out page
Navigate to kochava.com/privacy/opt-out/. This is Kochava's consumer-facing opt-out form and covers both the behavioral-segment opt-out (stops future data use) and the CCPA-style "do not sell or share" request.
Select "Delete my personal information" and submit identifiers
Choose the "Delete" option (not just the "Opt out of sale"). Enter your name, email, and every mobile advertising ID you recorded in step 1. If you also have Kochava cookies in your browser, the form will detect them automatically and offer to delete those as well.
Reset your current mobile advertising ID
After submitting the deletion request, reset your current advertising IDs to prevent Kochava from re-building a profile on your ongoing activity. On iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → toggle off (Limit Ad Tracking). On Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Delete advertising ID.
Wait for the verification email
Kochava sends a verification email to the address you submitted. Click the link within 7 days. Without verification, the deletion request is not processed.
Verify after 30 days
Re-submit an "access" request at the same URL after 30 days. Kochava should return an empty or near-empty record for the identifiers you submitted. Kochava is generally faster than average on deletion processing because the company operates under active FTC scrutiny.
How Long Does Kochava Removal Take?
What Documents Kochava May Request
No government ID required
- •Email address
- •Mobile advertising IDs (IDFA for iOS, GAID for Android , one per device)
- •Full name (for cross-reference)
⚠️ Safety note on ID uploads
Kochava does not require a government ID for consumer rights requests , email verification is sufficient. Do not send a government ID unless Kochava specifically escalates the request and requests it, and if they do, redact everything except your name and photo.
What to Do If Kochava Removal Fails
If the standard opt-out process does not work, follow these escalation steps in order:
If Kochava does not send a verification email within 10 minutes, check your spam folder. If absent, email privacy@kochava.com directly with the subject "Opt-Out Form Verification Missing" and include the time you submitted the form.
If Kochava acknowledges the request but has not completed it within 30 days, reply to the case thread citing CCPA § 1798.130 (or the equivalent provision in your state) and request a status update.
If the 45-day deadline passes, file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov , Kochava is already under FTC scrutiny and the agency treats new complaints as supporting evidence for the pending case. California residents can also file with the CPPA.
Alternative Options
🔧 Manual removal (free)
The manual opt-out above is free and reliable for Kochava specifically. The main limitation is that it only removes records matching the mobile advertising IDs you submit , if you have used multiple phones over the years and cannot recall historical IDFAs/GAIDs, some data remains. Resetting your current device's advertising ID (step 4 above) is essential to prevent rebuild.
⚡ Automated removal (OfflistMe)
OfflistMe covers Kochava alongside 300+ other brokers for a single one-time payment. Because Kochava's opt-out is keyed on mobile advertising IDs, we walk you through recovering IDs from every device you have owned and bundle the Kochava request with parallel deletions at other mobile ad data brokers (LiveRamp, Nielsen, Oracle/BlueKai) , breaking the cross-device identity graph rather than just the Kochava-side record.
Generate the Kochava opt-out email →Frequently Asked Questions
Know the laws behind this request
Every deletion request you send to Kochava cites specific statutes. These explainers show what each law covers, what the broker must do, and how enforcement works.
Official registry entries for Kochava
Under state data-broker laws, Kochava must publicly register and disclose opt-out contact info. These are the official filings.
Don't stop at Kochava
Your data is on 300+ brokers, not just Kochava. OfflistMe covers all of them with a single one-time payment , no subscription, no account needed.