To opt out of Kochava, submit your device's Mobile Advertising ID at kochava.com/opt-out-do-not-sell-request-process/, then email privacy@kochava.com to request deletion of everything already held. Requests are per-device, so you must repeat the process for every phone and tablet you own. Here is the full process.
Who Kochava Is and Why You Are in Its Database
Kochava is a mobile attribution and location data company based in Sandpoint, Idaho. It does not run a people-search website you can look yourself up on, which is exactly why most people have never heard of it. Its data comes from inside the apps you already use: advertising SDKs embedded in mobile apps report your device's advertising identifier and, in many cases, precise location back to Kochava's platform.
That produces something more sensitive than a people-search listing. A people-search profile says where you live. A location dataset says where you go — which clinic, which place of worship, which shelter, which address you sleep at — tied to a persistent device identifier that can often be matched back to a name.
The FTC Case
The Federal Trade Commission sued Kochava in August 2022, alleging its collection and sale of precise geolocation data invaded consumers' privacy by exposing visits to sensitive locations including health facilities and places of worship. In May 2026 the FTC announced a settlement barring Kochava and its subsidiary Collective Data Solutions from selling, licensing, transferring or sharing sensitive location data without a consumer's affirmative express consent.
The order also strengthens your position directly: Kochava must give consumers an easy way to withdraw consent for the sale of their device's location data, and must let you request the names of businesses or individuals it sold your geolocation data to.
Opting out is device-specific
Kochava identifies you by Mobile Advertising ID, not by name or email. One submission covers one device. A phone, a tablet and an old handset still in a drawer are three separate opt-outs — and resetting your advertising ID afterwards creates a new identifier that is not covered by the old request.
Step 1: Find Your Mobile Advertising ID
You need the identifier before you can submit anything.
On Android (GAID): open Settings, then Google, then Ads. Your advertising ID is displayed there, along with options to reset or delete it. On newer Android versions the path may be Settings > Privacy > Ads.
On iPhone and iPad (IDFA): Apple does not display the IDFA in Settings. The reliable route is Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, where turning off "Allow Apps to Request to Track" zeroes out the identifier for all apps. If you need the actual value to submit, several privacy utility apps will display it.
Step 2: Submit the Opt-Out and Do Not Sell Request
- Go to kochava.com/opt-out-do-not-sell-request-process/
- Enter your Mobile Advertising ID in the submission field
- Submit the request — the identifier is added to Kochava's suppression list, blocking further use of the associated data
- Repeat for every device you own, one ID at a time
- Screenshot each confirmation
Step 3: Email for Full Deletion and a Disclosure List
The web form stops future use. It does not necessarily erase what already exists, and it does not tell you who your data was sold to. For that, email privacy@kochava.com (Kochava also lists a legal department line at 855-562-4282) and ask for three things explicitly:
- Deletion of all personal information associated with your advertising identifiers
- Withdrawal of consent for any sale or sharing of your device's location data
- The names of any business or individual to which Kochava sold or disclosed your geolocation data
Include your advertising IDs, state that you are exercising your rights under applicable state privacy law, and keep a copy. If you live in a state with a comprehensive privacy law, the controller generally has 45 days to respond.
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Step 4: Cut Off the Supply at the Source
Opting out of Kochava does nothing about the dozens of other adtech and location firms receiving the same feed. Close the tap as well as emptying the bucket:
- iOS: Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, and turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track"
- Android: Settings > Google > Ads, and choose "Delete advertising ID"
- Location permissions: audit every app and downgrade anything that does not need it to "While Using" or "Never". Almost nothing needs "Always".
- Precise location: switch it off per-app where approximate location will do
- Uninstall dormant apps — free flashlight, weather, wallpaper and puzzle apps are heavily represented in location data supply chains
Step 5: Re-Check in 30 to 45 Days
Confirm you received acknowledgement, and re-submit if not. Note that if you delete or reset your advertising ID after opting out, your device gets a fresh identifier that is not on the suppression list — so opt out first, then reset, then opt out again with the new ID if you want both.
Location data is only half your exposure
While you are closing the adtech tap, check what the people-search side is publishing. PrivacyOn's free scan takes about 30 seconds and shows the live listings carrying your name, address, phone number and relatives.
Let PrivacyOn Handle the Rest
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I opt out of Kochava?
Submit your Mobile Advertising ID through the opt-out and do-not-sell form at kochava.com/opt-out-do-not-sell-request-process/, once per device. Then email privacy@kochava.com requesting deletion of all data tied to those identifiers and a list of the businesses your geolocation data was sold to.
Is Kochava a data broker?
Yes. Kochava is a mobile attribution and location data company that has collected and sold precise geolocation data derived from advertising SDKs inside mobile apps. The FTC sued it in 2022 over that practice and announced a settlement in May 2026 restricting sales of sensitive location data without affirmative express consent.
What data does Kochava have about me?
Primarily your Mobile Advertising ID and the location and app-usage signals associated with it, which together can reveal movement patterns over time — home, workplace, and visits to health facilities or places of worship. It is not a name-and-address profile, but device identifiers can often be matched back to an individual.
Does opting out of Kochava delete data it already collected?
The web form adds your advertising ID to a suppression list that blocks further use, which is not the same as erasure. To have existing records deleted, email privacy@kochava.com and ask explicitly for deletion of all personal information associated with your identifiers, citing your state privacy rights.
Do I have to opt out of Kochava again if I reset my advertising ID?
Yes. Suppression is tied to the specific identifier you submitted, so a reset or deleted advertising ID produces a new one that is not covered. Opt out first, then reset if you want a clean identifier, then submit the new ID as well.
How do I stop location data brokers collecting from me in the first place?
Turn off tracking at the OS level: on iOS disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track" under Privacy & Security; on Android choose "Delete advertising ID" under Google > Ads. Then audit location permissions app by app, disable precise location where approximate will do, and remove dormant free apps, which are heavily represented in location data supply chains.