How to Opt Out of People Data Labs

People Data Labs (PDL) is one of the largest B2B data brokers in the world, maintaining a database of over 3 billion individual profiles sourced from public records, social media, and other data providers. Unlike consumer-facing people-search sites, PDL sells your data to businesses, recruiters, and marketers. Here's how to remove yourself from their database.

What Is People Data Labs?

People Data Labs is a data-as-a-service company that aggregates personal information and sells it through APIs to other businesses. Their database includes:

• Contact information — email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses
• Employment history — current and past employers, job titles, and work experience
• Education records — schools attended, degrees earned, and graduation years
• Social media profiles — links to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other accounts
• Demographic data — age, gender, location, and household information

This data is used by sales teams for lead generation, recruiters for candidate sourcing, and marketers for targeted advertising. In 2019, PDL was involved in a major data exposure incident where 1.2 billion records were found on an unsecured server, highlighting the risks of such massive data aggregation.

How to Opt Out of People Data Labs

Method 1: Email Request (Recommended)

The most reliable way to opt out of People Data Labs is by sending a direct email request:

1. Compose an email to privacy@peopledatalabs.com
2. Use a clear subject line such as "Data Deletion Request" or "Opt-Out Request"
3. Include your identifying information in the body of the email: your full name, email addresses (include all email addresses you've used), phone number, and mailing address
4. State your request clearly — ask them to delete all personal data associated with your identity and to suppress your information from future data collection
5. Reference your rights — mention CCPA (California), GDPR (EU), or your applicable state privacy law to strengthen your request

People Data Labs is required to process your deletion request within 14 days. They will send a confirmation email once your data has been removed.

Method 2: CCPA Request (California Residents)

If you're a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

1. Visit People Data Labs' privacy page on their website
2. Submit a formal CCPA deletion request
3. PDL must verify your identity and process the request within 45 days
4. You can also request a copy of all data they hold on you before deletion

Method 3: California DELETE Act (Starting August 2026)

Starting August 1, 2026, California's Delete Act creates a one-stop deletion portal at privacy.ca.gov/drop where you can submit a single request that reaches every registered data broker in California — including People Data Labs. This is a game-changer for privacy because:

• One request covers all registered data brokers simultaneously
• Data brokers must process requests and continue deleting every 45 days
• The service is completely free

What Happens After You Opt Out?

After submitting your request, here's what to expect:

• Confirmation email — PDL should acknowledge your request within a few business days
• 14-day processing window — Your data should be fully removed within two weeks
• Potential re-collection — PDL continuously scrapes public sources, so your data may reappear if your information is publicly available elsewhere. You may need to repeat the process every few months.

Beyond People Data Labs: Comprehensive Data Removal

People Data Labs is just one of hundreds of data brokers that may have your information. Other major B2B data brokers include Clearbit, ZoomInfo, FullContact, Apollo.io, and Lusha — each requiring separate opt-out requests.

Manually opting out of every data broker is a never-ending task. As soon as you remove your data from one source, it can be re-collected from public records, social media, or other brokers that still have your information.