Unlistedby AI
Know your rights

The laws that put you back in control.

There is no single US privacy law — instead there's a growing patchwork of state laws and targeted federal rules. Together they give you real, enforceable rights to see your data, delete it, and stop its sale. Here's the plain-English version.

The federal picture

The United States has no comprehensive federal privacy law. Instead, federal protection is "sectoral" — specific laws cover specific kinds of data. The ones most relevant to data brokers:

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Governs consumer-reporting agencies. Limits who can access your credit/background file and lets you dispute inaccurate data. Some background-report brokers fall under it.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). Requires financial institutions to disclose data-sharing and lets you opt out of some sharing of your financial information.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Protects medical records held by healthcare providers, plans, and their partners — not data brokers, but relevant to health data.
Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Restricts disclosure of personal information from state motor-vehicle records — a historic source of broker data.
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Requires parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13.
FTC Act § 5. Bars "unfair or deceptive" practices. The FTC has used it to police data brokers that mishandle or misrepresent data practices.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Limits unsolicited calls and texts — the downstream harm when brokers sell your number.

State comprehensive privacy laws

As of early 2026, 20 states have enacted comprehensive consumer-privacy laws. Most give you the right to delete your data, access what's held, and opt out of its sale. Many data brokers apply these rights nationwide rather than sort requests state by state — which is why an opt-out often works even outside these states.

StateLawIn effectCore rights
CaliforniaCCPA / CPRAJan 2020 (CPRA Jan 2023)Delete, opt out of sale/share, access, correct. Statewide DROP one-stop broker deletion (2026).
VirginiaVCDPAJan 2023Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & targeted ads.
ColoradoCPAJul 2023Delete, access, opt out of sale & profiling; universal opt-out signal honored.
ConnecticutCTDPAJul 2023Delete, access, opt out of sale/ads; opt-out signal.
UtahUCPADec 2023Delete, access, opt out of sale & targeted ads.
TexasTDPSAJul 2024Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & profiling.
OregonOCPAJul 2024Delete, access, opt out; right to a list of who data was shared with.
FloridaFDBRJul 2024Delete, access, opt out of sale (applies to very large firms).
MontanaMCDPAOct 2024Delete, access, opt out of sale & targeted ads.
DelawareDPDPAJan 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out; list of third parties.
New HampshireNH PAJan 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & ads.
New JerseyNJDPAJan 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out; opt-out signal.
NebraskaNDPAJan 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & targeted ads.
IowaICDPAJan 2025Delete, access, opt out of sale (narrower than most).
TennesseeTIPAJul 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & profiling.
MinnesotaMCDPAJul 2025Delete, access, correct, opt out; question automated decisions.
MarylandMODPAOct 2025Delete, access, opt out; strict data-minimization limits.
IndianaINCDPAJan 2026Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & targeted ads.
KentuckyKCDPAJan 2026Delete, access, correct, opt out of sale & profiling.
Rhode IslandRIDTPPAJan 2026Delete, access, opt out of sale & targeted ads.

Laws built specifically for data brokers

A newer wave of laws targets the broker industry directly — forcing it into the open and, in California, creating a single button to delete yourself from all of it:

California Delete Act & DROP. Requires data brokers to register with the state and, from 2026, honor one-stop deletion requests through the CPPA's Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP).
California & Vermont broker registries. Data brokers must publicly register, making the industry visible and accountable.
Texas & Oregon broker registration. Newer registration regimes requiring brokers to disclose their existence and data practices.

What this means for you

You already have the legal right to be removed from most data brokers — the obstacle has always been the sheer tedium of exercising it across hundreds of companies, each with its own form and deadline. That's exactly the work Unlisted by AI automates: it cites the right law for where you live, sends the request, and tracks the legally required response window (typically 45 days) for you.

Not legal advice. This page is educational and summarizes complex laws in plain language. Details, thresholds, and effective dates change often and vary by situation. For advice about your specific circumstances, consult a qualified attorney or your state attorney general's office. Content current as of early 2026.
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