As data breaches continue to grow and happen more frequently you may want to consider protecting all the information you are allowing Data Brokers to handle. 

Data brokers compile your information from numerous sources. They sell your location data, what emails you use on your loyalty cards and even your browsing history. Companies like Facebook, in turn, allow advertisers on their back end to use this information for the targeted ads you see on your newsfeed.

Even with companies promising to limit information sharing with these brokers, the only true way to remain anonymous is to opt-out of these data providers.

As of now, these are some of the largest Data Brokers:

• Oracle Data Cloud
• KBM Group
• Epsilon
• Experian
• Axiom
• Quantium

Opting out of these providers isn’t as easy as knowing their names. For the time being, some of these companies are notorious for making it difficult to do so. One of the reasons being that you need to specify every aspect of your identity that you want to opt-out of. While there is hope for more transparency in the future, you can follow these steps for opting out under the current framework.

Epsilon

Here is one of the easier ones to opt-out of. Epsilon offers one solution to opt-out of them using your name and mailing address. All you need to do is send an email requesting an opt-out to emeaprivacy@epsilon.com

Make sure to give them your full name and mailing address when doing so.

Oracle Data Cloud

Oracle’s opt-out option may not necessarily give you full peace of mind. Their solution is to have you download a cookie for its internet-based tracker. Essentially what it does is place a cookie on your browser so other Oracle trackers on the web will know not to track you.

1. Go to Oracle’s Opt-Out website
2. There you will see a large orange button that looks like this.   

Click It

Additionally, you can opt-out of all the offline information that has been gathered from you.

1. Go to Oracles offline opt-out site
2. Fill out the form accordingly
3. Submit the form

Experian

Experian has a numerous different products that could potentially contain data collected from you. Some of the easier ones can be opted out through a link, while with others you will need to send an email or make a call as well.

Here are the link services:

1. Partner Programs
2. Targeted Advertising  (Audience IQ) 
3. OmniActivation Strategic Services

Each of these work similar to Oracles opt-out links by offering an opt-out cookie for their numerous internet based advertising products.

As previously mentioned, if you want to get rid of all information that has already been compiled on you offline there are a few different outlets you will need to reach out to. This is information that Experian collects through telemarketing, targeted ad services, and email. To have them suppress this information you will need to reach out to optout@experian.com. Like the other emails mentioned, you should provide the exact details you want to be suppressed.

If you would like to be removed from  Experian and their partner’s permission-based email database send an email to  unsubscribeall@experian.com from the email address you would like to opt-out from.

ACxiom

If you like long numbered lists then you may actually enjoy following these steps for opting out of Axiom. If not, then this could feel tedious.

1. Start by going to   https://isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx
2. Scroll down a bit and locate the checkboxes where you can specify what information you want to opt-out of. Your options are Mailing addresses, Email Addresses, and phone number.
3.  Under the checkboxes, you will need to choose who you are opting out for. Your options are you, an individual you are a legal guardian over, and an individual who is deceased.
4. Below you can click the  to open the field and add your full name(s)  that you would like to have removed from data tracking.
5. Click “Add” after each name you type in to place it on the list. You can add up to ten names.
6. Directly under you can click the  near “phone numbers” to add the phone numbers you would like to be removed from tracking.
7. Click add after each number you write in order to place it on the list. You can repeat this step for as many as ten numbers.
8. Underneath the phone number section, you will find a section that reads “email addresses”. You can click the   to add any email address to the field that opens up.
9. You can then click add to place them on the list. Repeat the last two steps to add up to ten addresses you would like.
10. Finally, beneath the email list, you can click the  to add mailing addresses you would like to add to the opt-out list.
11. You can click add after each mailing address to place on the list. Like the others, you are permitted ten spaces.
12. When you have filled out all the fields you want to opt-out of, click submit.
13. Enter the email that you would like to have Axiom send your opt-out confirmation to.
14. You will have a link send to your email of choice. Click it.
15. Click submit on the confirmation page.

Quantium

Compared to some of the others data broker list, Quantium makes it’s opt-out a little more transparent. They provide numerous links allowing you to opt-out.

Note: This only works for the current browser and device you are using. If you frequent any other devices you may want to opt-out on those as well.

News Corp

1. Go to News Corp’s site. 
2. On the right side of the screen, you will see a switch that says on.
3. Switch it off to opt-out of targeted ads.

Adobe Targeted Ads, Yahoo7 and Daily Mail

1. This one makes it pretty easy. Head to this site.
2. There you will see a box where you can check which services you want to opt-in or out of.

Quantcast

1. Another simple one. Head to the Quantcast site.
2. There will be a switch at the top of the page allowing you to opt-out.
3. Additionally, Quantcast provides some good insight on what your data is used for.

KBM Group

Here is another one that offers an opt-out solution in the form of a cookie. You can follow these steps to activate it.

1. Go to KBM Groups Interactive opt-out link. 
2. To cancel click the  button.

It is evident that there need to be some changes to the transparency of these opt-out solutions. For now, all we can do is wait for changes in data privacy requirements that may occur in the coming years.

Tap into the Digital You at ScoresMatter and learn how you can protect your privacy.