How to Opt Out of Data Brokers in Florida

Florida residents are not protected from data brokers under state law. The Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR) only applies to a handful of billion-dollar tech giants, so people-search sites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, and Intelius can keep publishing your name, address, and phone number. To remove your information, you must opt out of each broker one by one — or automate the process with a service like PrivacyOn.

Why Florida's Privacy Law Won't Save You

The Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR), signed in June 2023 and effective July 1, 2024, sounds sweeping but is deliberately narrow. It applies only to for-profit "controllers" with more than $1 billion in global gross annual revenue that also derive 50%+ of revenue from digital advertising, operate a smart speaker or voice command service, or run an app store.

That threshold excludes essentially the entire data broker industry. Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, Radaris, FastPeopleSearch, MyLife, Intelius, PeopleFinder, TruePeopleSearch, and Nuwber are all well under $1 billion in revenue and outside the FDBR's scope.

What the FDBR Actually Covers

For the small number of qualifying tech giants, Florida residents can:

• Opt out of targeted advertising, sale of personal data, and profiling
• Opt out of voice and facial recognition data collection
• Request access, correction, and deletion of their personal data

Qualifying controllers must respond within 45 days, with a possible 45-day extension. But for most data broker exposure, the FDBR provides no meaningful remedy.

The Real Problem: Florida's Public Records Culture

Florida is one of the most transparent states in the nation for public records. The Florida Sunshine Law makes vast amounts of government data publicly available:

• Property records with your name, home address, and purchase price
• Voter registration data including party affiliation and date of birth
• Court records from civil, criminal, and family cases
• Business filings with owner names and registered addresses
• Professional licenses with home addresses in many industries

Data brokers scrape these Florida databases 24/7, cross-reference them with marketing lists and social media, and publish comprehensive profiles anyone can view — often for free.

Step 1: Find Every Site That Lists You

Before you can opt out, you need to know where you appear. Search Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo for:

• "Your Name" + city (e.g., "Jane Smith Miami FL")
• "Your Name" + ZIP code
• "Your Name" + street name
• Your phone number in quotes
• Your email address in quotes

For most Florida residents, the search will surface listings on these major people-search sites:

• Spokeo (spokeo.com)
• BeenVerified (beenverified.com)
• Whitepages (whitepages.com)
• TruePeopleSearch (truepeoplesearch.com)
• FastPeopleSearch (fastpeoplesearch.com)
• Intelius (intelius.com) — also covers TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search
• Radaris (radaris.com)
• MyLife (mylife.com)
• Nuwber (nuwber.com)
• PeopleFinder (peoplefinder.com)

Step 2: Submit an Opt-Out Request to Each Site

Each broker has its own removal process. For each site on your list:

1. Find the opt-out page. Look for "Do Not Sell My Info," "Privacy," or "Opt Out" in the footer.
2. Locate your profile. Search the site's directory for yourself and select the correct listing.
3. Submit the removal form. Provide name, city, and email. Some sites require date of birth or a phone number to verify identity.
4. Verify by email. Click the confirmation link brokers send. Check spam.
5. Wait 24 hours to 30 days for processing, depending on the broker.
6. Re-check the listing after the promised window and confirm removal.

Step 3: Address Florida-Specific Public Records

Because so much of the data broker supply chain starts in Florida county records, address the source when possible:

• Property records: You cannot erase historical records, but future purchases can be held in a land trust or LLC to keep your name off the deed.
• Voter registration: Florida Statute 119.071 allows exemptions for law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, code enforcement officers, firefighters, domestic violence survivors, and other qualifying categories. Contact your county Supervisor of Elections to apply.
• Court records: Sensitive filings can sometimes be sealed. Consult an attorney if a case is exposing personal information.
• Business filings: Use a registered agent so your home address is not listed with the Florida Division of Corporations at Sunbiz.org.

Step 4: Repeat Every 60 to 90 Days

This is the step most Floridians miss. Brokers re-scrape public records constantly. The FTC and privacy researchers have documented that removed profiles typically resurface within 30 to 90 days as brokers pull fresh copies from county records and buy data feeds from other brokers.

To keep your data down, you must:

• Re-check every broker every 2 to 3 months
• Resubmit opt-out requests when new listings appear
• Add new brokers to your list as you discover them (there are 190+ sites in this ecosystem)

Manually, this can take 20 to 40 hours for the first round and several hours per follow-up cycle. Most people give up after the first pass.

The 5-Minute Alternative: Let PrivacyOn Automate Everything

Because Florida provides no state-level protection, automated removal is especially valuable for Sunshine State residents. PrivacyOn handles the entire opt-out process across more than 100 data broker sites, including every major site that sources data from Florida public records.

Here's what PrivacyOn does for Florida residents:

• Submits opt-out requests to 100+ data brokers and people-search sites automatically
• Monitors 24/7 for your data reappearing on any covered broker
• Automatically re-submits removals when listings resurface
• Scans the dark web for your personal data in breach and combolist databases
• Family plans cover up to 5 people, ideal for households sharing a Florida address

Plans start at just $8.33/month ($99.96/year). You can start with a free scan to see exactly how many brokers currently list your info before you subscribe.

Florida Privacy Resources

• Florida Attorney General Consumer Protection: myfloridalegal.com
• Florida Division of Consumer Services: 1-800-435-7352
• Address Confidentiality Program (ACS): For domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking survivors, contact the Florida Attorney General's ACS program
• FTC Identity Theft: identitytheft.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Florida Digital Bill of Rights cover data brokers?

No. The FDBR applies only to companies with more than $1 billion in global annual revenue that meet additional criteria (large ad-tech, smart speakers, or app stores). Essentially every commercial data broker, including Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, Intelius, and Radaris, falls outside the law's scope. Florida residents have no state-law right to demand deletion from these companies.

Is opting out of data brokers legal in Florida?

Yes. Every major broker offers a voluntary opt-out or suppression process, and using them is completely legal. Some brokers still cite the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to justify keeping certain records, but people-search sites are almost always non-FCRA and must honor voluntary removal requests.

How long does a Florida data broker opt-out take?

Individual removals range from 24 hours (Intelius/PeopleConnect) to about 30 days (Spokeo, Whitepages). Full manual cleanup across 100+ sites usually takes 20 to 40 hours of work spread over 4 to 6 weeks. Using an automated service like PrivacyOn reduces user effort to about 5 minutes for the initial signup.

Why does my info keep coming back on Florida people-search sites?

Data brokers re-scrape Florida county property records, voter files, court dockets, and Sunbiz business filings continuously. Even after a successful opt-out, your profile typically returns within 30 to 90 days. Continuous monitoring and re-removal — either manually every quarter or automatically through PrivacyOn — is the only reliable way to keep your data suppressed.

Can I hide my Florida property records from data brokers?

You cannot erase existing records, but you can prevent future exposure by titling new property in a Florida land trust or LLC. Consult a Florida real estate attorney before restructuring ownership — homestead exemption, capital gains, and estate planning consequences vary by situation.

Does the California Delete Act help Florida residents?

Partially. California's DROP platform (launching statewide access in 2026) is designed for California residents, but many data brokers registered under the California law honor deletion requests from any U.S. resident because it is administratively cheaper than segmenting records by state. It is not a guaranteed path for Floridians, but sending a CCPA-style request often succeeds.

Take Action Today

Florida's public records culture and narrow privacy law make its residents unusually exposed to data brokers. Whether you opt out manually or let PrivacyOn automate the process, the important thing is to start now. Every day your personal information sits on people-search sites is another day it can fuel spam, robocalls, phishing, and identity theft. Take control of your Florida data footprint before someone else exploits it.