TLO — also known as TLOxp — is TransUnion's powerful investigative and skip-tracing database used by debt collectors, private investigators, law enforcement, and insurance fraud investigators to locate people and verify identities. If you've ever wondered how collectors and investigators find you so easily, TLO is often the answer. Here's how to opt out.
What Is TLO (TLOxp)?
TLO (originally standing for "The Last One" you'll ever need) is a people-search and investigative platform that TransUnion acquired in 2014. It's now part of TransUnion's Risk and Alternative Data Solutions (TRADS) division.
Unlike consumer-facing people-search sites, TLO is a professional-grade investigative tool that provides:
- Comprehensive people searches: Find anyone using name, SSN, phone, address, email, or vehicle information
- Skip tracing: Locate people who have moved or are avoiding contact
- Asset searches: Property ownership, vehicle registrations, and business affiliations
- Identity verification: Confirm identities for compliance and fraud prevention
- Address history: Complete residential history going back decades
- Associate mapping: Identifies relatives, roommates, and known associates
Who Uses TLO?
TLO's user base includes debt collection agencies, bail bond companies, private investigators, insurance companies, law enforcement, legal professionals, and financial institutions. Access requires a permissible purpose under the FCRA or DPPA, but the depth of information available makes it one of the most invasive data products in existence.
What Data Does TLO Have About You?
TLO aggregates data from an enormous range of sources:
- Public records: Court filings, property records, business registrations, voter records, and marriage/divorce records
- Credit header data: Name, SSN, date of birth, and address history from credit applications
- Utility records: Address data from utility connections (gas, electric, water, cable)
- Vehicle records: Registration data from state DMVs
- Phone records: Landline and mobile phone data from telecommunications providers
- Postal data: Change-of-address records from USPS
How to Opt Out of TLO
Since TLO is owned by TransUnion, the opt-out process goes through TransUnion's privacy portal. Here's how:
Method 1: Online Privacy Request
- Visit transunion.com
- Scroll to the bottom of the page
- Click "Your Privacy Choices" in the footer
- Select the type of request you want to make: Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing, Delete Personal Information, or Access/Copy
- Follow the prompts to verify your identity
- When specifying which products, indicate that you want to opt out of TRADS/TLO specifically
- Submit your request
Method 2: Email Request
Send an email to privacy@transunion.com with the subject line "TLO/TRADS Opt-Out Request" and include:
- Your full legal name
- Date of birth
- Current address
- Previous addresses (to help locate all records)
- A clear statement that you want your data removed from TLO/TLOxp
Method 3: Phone Request
Call TransUnion's Consumer Relations Department at 1-800-916-8800. Request to opt out of TransUnion's Risk and Alternative Data Solutions products, specifically TLO.
Be Specific About TLO
TransUnion operates multiple data products (credit reporting, TLO, Neustar, marketing data). When submitting your opt-out request, explicitly mention TLO and TRADS. Opting out of TransUnion's marketing data does not automatically remove you from TLO, and vice versa.
Skip the manual opt-outs
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Start your free scanWhat to Expect
TransUnion must respond to privacy requests within the timeframes mandated by your state's privacy law (typically 45 days under the CCPA). However, there are important caveats:
- FCRA exceptions: Data maintained for credit reporting purposes is exempt from deletion requests under consumer privacy laws
- Law enforcement use: Information used in active law enforcement investigations may not be deletable
- Permissible purposes: Some data may be retained if it's needed for legally permitted purposes like fraud prevention
- Re-collection: TLO continuously ingests data from public records and other sources, so your information may reappear after deletion
Reducing Your TLO Footprint
Because TLO pulls from so many sources, a comprehensive approach is needed:
- Opt out of TLO directly using the methods above
- Remove your data from upstream sources: Opt out of other data brokers that feed into TLO's database
- Limit public records exposure: Use a trust or LLC for property ownership, opt out of voter registration publication, and use a PO Box where possible
- Lock your credit files: Freeze your credit at all three bureaus to prevent new credit header data from being generated
- Minimize utility data: Where possible, set up utilities in a business name or trust
Why Single Opt-Outs Aren't Enough
TLO is part of a larger data ecosystem. Your personal information flows between hundreds of data brokers, and opting out of one doesn't stop the others from collecting and sharing your data.
PrivacyOn takes a comprehensive approach, monitoring over 100 data broker sites and automatically submitting removal requests across the entire ecosystem. By addressing multiple data sources simultaneously, PrivacyOn reduces the amount of data available to aggregators like TLO.
With continuous monitoring and re-removal capabilities, PrivacyOn ensures that when data brokers re-list your information (which they inevitably do), your data gets removed again — creating a sustained reduction in your digital footprint rather than a one-time opt-out that quickly becomes outdated.