The Basics · Step 2 of 13

Where your information comes from

Before you can clean up your information, it helps to know where it comes from. It comes from several kinds of places, and later steps deal with each one.

People-search sites and data brokers

Data brokers are companies that collect information about people and sell or share it with others. People-search sites are one kind of data broker. ¹

These sites build their reports from many places. They may buy data from other brokers, collect what is public on social media, and copy government public records. ¹ With just your name or phone number, someone could buy a report that lists your age, your past and current addresses, your family members, and more. ¹

Your details can also show up in the reports of your relatives, neighbors, or other people you know. ¹

Public records

Governments keep many records that anyone can look at. The FTC lists property, voter registration, court, driving, vital, and professional license records as examples that people-search sites use. ¹ The Department of Homeland Security also lists property records, court records, and voter registration lists as common sources for doxers. ²

Taking your information off a people-search site does not delete it from public records. It can still be found on government websites. ¹ Step 12 covers public records.

What you and other people post

Social media posts are on the Homeland Security list of common sources. So are wedding announcements, obituaries, newsletters, and online forums. ² Some of these are things you post. Others are things that family, friends, or groups post about you. People-search sites can also collect information from social media profiles that anyone can see. ¹

Data breaches

Companies you have accounts with can be hacked, and the information they hold about you can be exposed. ⁴ In one FTC case, a hacker got into a company database with information on 2.5 million users, including email addresses and location data. ⁴ Breaches can expose passwords too. Hackers know there is a good chance you used the same password somewhere else. ⁴

Accounts and sign-ups

The things you do every day, like shopping and using apps, give businesses information about you. Some of them sell or share it. ¹ The FTC has reported that data brokers collect information from sources like purchases, social media activity, warranty registrations, and magazine subscriptions, mostly without people knowing. ³

What to do

You do not have to fix all of this at once. The next steps take it one piece at a time:

• Step 3, "Look yourself up," shows you what a stranger could find.
• Step 4, "Lock down your main accounts," protects your email and phone accounts.
• Step 5, "Tighten your social media," limits what your profiles show.
• Step 6, "Remove yourself from people-search sites," takes down the reports that sell your details.

Last checked: November 8, 2026