The 3 Largest Data Brokers in the U.S.

Avoid becoming a statistic: break free from data brokers

In a 2021 report, 56% of U.S. companies admitted to having suffered a data breach. Personal data privacy and security are among the most significant concerns about data aggregation services. Large data monetization brokers like Acxiom, CoreLogic, and Epsilon lack transparency on exactly how data for such a large percentage of the U.S. population is collected, no matter what they claim. This is most evident from recent headlines confirming numerous data breaches and the misuse of personal information.

Never judge a broker by its privacy policy

In 2004, Acxiom experienced one of the worst data breaches in terms of the number of records exposed. It exposed over 1.6 billion customer records through two stolen vital Acxiom login credentials. The breach cost Acxiom almost $7 million in compensation fees and the hacker responsible was prosecuted.

In 2017, CoreLogic admitted that it had suffered unauthorized access and consumer information had been breached. The attack exposed consumers’ credit card information, home addresses, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and more. However, nothing came of this in the courts.

Epsilon lost a case in 2021 against the U.S. government for participating in the fraud of elderly consumers between 2008 and 2017. The company admitted knowing that its Direct to Consumer (DTC) Unit had sold consumer lists to clients engaged in fraud schemes. Epsilon was charged $150 million, of which $127.5 million went to the victims.

Your data: your choice

Understandably, this is all quite terrifying. However, there are ways to prevent your consumer data from being obtained by the big three data monetization services:

• Acxiom: Go to the Acxiom opt-out form or call its support number at 877-774-2094 to choose the types of data you don’t want the company to gather. It can take a few weeks for your request to be processed.
• Epsilon: Email [email protected] and include your name and email address. You can also use its opt-out form to request it doesn’t sell your personal information or for it to delete your data entirely. Alternatively, you can call Epsilon on 866-267-3861, where the company will have a third party verify your identity by asking questions about your personal information.
• CoreLogic: Email [email protected] and include your name and email address. Your subject line needs to be ‘California Privacy Rights Request.’ Your message must state that you’d like to remove yourself from the company’s databases and opt out of marketing programs. If you don’t receive confirmation after a week, ask for a status update. You can also try filling out the company’s opt-out form and mailing it to: CoreLogic Teletrack Opt-Out Request, P.O. Box 509124, San Diego, CA, 92150.

Let Incogni do the work

While opting out of these big data companies is feasible, it can take weeks and requires a lot of your time and attention. Luckily, Incogni exists to ensure no data brokers collect or retain your personal information.

Incogni contacts more than 180 data brokers on the client’s behalf to request the deletion of personal information. The users can access a dashboard where each request is filed and divided by ‘Not Started’, ‘In-Progress’, ‘Completed’, or ‘Rejected’. But have no fear – Incogni will complete the request even if it’s been rejected, by repeatedly contacting the relevant data protection agencies until the broker has complied with the request.