How to Remove Your Data from MerkleStep-by-Step Guide 2026
A Dentsu-owned marketing data broker with one of the largest postal and email-targeting databases in the US. 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 Merkle?
Merkle is a performance-marketing data broker owned by Dentsu since 2016 and one of the largest direct-marketing database providers in the US. Merkle's core product is the "DataSource" consumer file , a compiled database of nearly every US adult that pairs postal address and email with thousands of attributes used for targeted direct mail, email, and connected-TV campaigns. Unlike people-search sites, Merkle does not publish consumer profiles , but the attribute coverage is deep: household income estimates, purchase categories, life-event flags (new parent, recent mover, recent homebuyer), and health/financial segments are all available.
Data Merkle collects about you
- •Full name and postal address
- •Email addresses (hashed and plaintext)
- •Phone numbers (landline and mobile)
- •Household income and net worth estimates
- •Purchase category propensities (auto, travel, retail, etc.)
- •Life-event flags (new parent, new homebuyer, recent mover, wedding, etc.)
- •Political donation and voting history segments
- •Health/financial propensity segments
- •Interest-based advertising (IBA) segment membership
Why Your Data Appears on Merkle
Merkle builds its DataSource file by combining public records (voter rolls, property records, court filings), purchases from other data brokers (Epsilon, Acxiom, Experian marketing data), retailer loyalty program data, and third-party web and mobile behavioral data. Because Merkle compiles rather than scrapes, nearly every US adult is in the file by default , the question is not "am I in it" but "what segments am I tagged with."
Where Merkle gets your data
- →Voter registration and public-record purchases
- →Property, deed, and mortgage records
- →Retailer loyalty program exports (via cooperative data programs)
- →Third-party data brokers (Epsilon, Experian, Acxiom, TransUnion)
- →Catalog cooperative databases (e.g., Abacus)
- →Web and mobile behavioral data partnerships
- →Merkle's own campaign response data from agency clients
Step-by-Step: How to Remove Your Data from Merkle
The opt-out process is free. Estimated time: 30–45 days for removal to take effect after completing these steps.
Visit the Merkle preference center
Go to go.merkle.com/2023-Preference-Center.html. This is the primary consumer-facing form and covers email marketing opt-out, postal suppression, and interest-based advertising opt-out.
Select "Do not market to me" and choose the channels
The preference center is channel-based: tick all of email, postal mail, phone, and SMS to fully opt out. If you only want to stop email, tick only email. For a full CCPA-grade deletion request you should also submit the separate request in step 4 below , the preference center alone only suppresses outgoing marketing, it does not delete the underlying data record.
Submit your contact identifiers
Provide your full name, postal address, and email. Merkle's file is keyed on postal address + name, so accuracy matters , use the exact spelling that appears on utility bills or credit-card statements if possible.
Email Americas.DPO@dentsu.com for full data deletion
The preference center suppresses future marketing but does not delete your record from Merkle's DataSource file. For a full CCPA deletion, email the Dentsu Americas Data Protection Officer at Americas.DPO@dentsu.com with the subject "CCPA Deletion Request , Merkle DataSource" and include your full name, all postal addresses from the past 10 years, and all email addresses.
Verify via email and wait for confirmation
Dentsu's DPO office will reply within 10 business days acknowledging the request and may ask for identifier clarification. Respond promptly. Merkle processes requests in 30–45 days.
Verify after 45 days
After 45 days, submit an access request via the same email channel asking for "a copy of any data still held on me in the DataSource file." If Merkle returns an empty record, deletion succeeded. If records remain, escalate.
How Long Does Merkle Removal Take?
What Documents Merkle May Request
No government ID required
- •Full legal name
- •Current and past postal addresses (past 10 years recommended)
- •Email addresses used for online retail
- •Phone numbers (if you want phone suppression)
⚠️ Safety note on ID uploads
Merkle does not require a government ID for a standard consumer rights request. If Dentsu's DPO asks for a utility bill to verify an address, redact the account number and keep only the name + address visible. Send attachments only to Americas.DPO@dentsu.com.
What to Do If Merkle Removal Fails
If the standard opt-out process does not work, follow these escalation steps in order:
If the preference center form submission does not produce a confirmation email within 24 hours, re-submit with a different email address. The form has historically had spam-filter delivery issues.
If Dentsu's DPO does not acknowledge the CCPA deletion email within 10 business days, resend with "SECOND REQUEST , CCPA § 1798.105" in the subject line, CC'ing privacy@merkleinc.com as a secondary recipient.
If the 45-day deadline passes without action, file a complaint with the CPPA (cppa.ca.gov/submit-complaint) for California residents, or your state attorney general for other US residents. Merkle/Dentsu has been named in CCPA enforcement actions before and generally complies under pressure.
Alternative Options
🔧 Manual removal (free)
The manual opt-out above is free and effective for Merkle specifically, though it requires two steps (preference center + email to DPO) for a full deletion rather than just a marketing suppression. The main weakness is that Merkle refreshes its file monthly from public records and co-op partners , deletion is not permanent unless you also remove yourself from the upstream sources (voter rolls, property records, retailer loyalty programs).
⚡ Automated removal (OfflistMe)
OfflistMe covers Merkle alongside 300+ other brokers for a single one-time payment. Because Merkle's deletion requires a specifically-worded CCPA citation to the Dentsu DPO email (not the preference center alone), the template we generate hits both channels and includes the exact legal language Dentsu's privacy team expects , avoiding the common "the preference center covers that" deflection.
Generate the Merkle opt-out email →Frequently Asked Questions
Know the laws behind this request
Every deletion request you send to Merkle cites specific statutes. These explainers show what each law covers, what the broker must do, and how enforcement works.
Official registry entries for Merkle
Under state data-broker laws, Merkle must publicly register and disclose opt-out contact info. These are the official filings.
Don't stop at Merkle
Your data is on 300+ brokers, not just Merkle. OfflistMe covers all of them with a single one-time payment , no subscription, no account needed.