Your data
Last checked: 6 Nov 2026 (table built from the UK and US guides, which give their own dates and sources)
How to get your details off marketing lists and people-search sites, using the opt-outs and legal rights where you live. The routes differ a lot between the UK and the US, so start with your own country's first step.
UK and US side by side
| Step | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Start here | Opt out of the open register: free, through your council, and it doesn't affect your vote. Many marketing lists start from it. | In California, use DROP: one request reaches every registered data broker and repeats every 45 days. Elsewhere, you opt out site by site. |
| Marketing data companies | The credit agencies' marketing services: Experian, TransUnion, Equifax, plus Sagacity and Acxiom. | Marketing data brokers: Acxiom, Epsilon, LiveRamp, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. |
| People-search sites | 192.com, ukphonebook, the phone book and Findmypast. | By owner: one PeopleConnect request covers Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate and US Search; then Spokeo and ThatsThem, Whitepages, BeenVerified and MyLife. |
| Post and calls | Preference services: Telephone, Mailing and Fundraising Preference Services, and Royal Mail's Door to Door opt-out. | OptOutPrescreen for pre-approved credit offers, and DMAchoice for prospect mail. |
| Your legal right | Object to direct marketing: the regulator says organisations can't refuse. | There's no single US law that lets you delete your data from every broker. California's DROP is the one-stop tool. |
| Will it come back? | Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Sagacity say they keep a suppression record so your details aren't added back. | The FTC says listings can reappear when public records change, so check again every few months. DROP re-checks every 45 days. |
Anywhere
This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing, or report a correction.