The internet knows more about you than you might think. With a simple Google search, your name, phone number, address, and details about your relatives can appear on people-search and data broker sites. These companies often collect, package, and sell your information without your knowledge or consent. However, a new free tool from ExpressVPN can help you see how much of your data is out there.
How the Free Data Exposure Scan Works
ExpressVPN’s tool scans multiple data broker sites to find out where your information is listed. All you need to do is enter your basic details—first and last name, age, city, and state. Within 30 seconds, the tool will generate a list of websites with your personal data.
The best part? You don’t need to sign up or provide payment information. It’s free to anyone in the U.S., whether or not they’re an ExpressVPN customer.
Why You Should Care About Data Brokers
Data brokers collect and sell personal details such as your date of birth, home address, phone number, and even financial information. This data can be used for marketing, but it also puts you at risk of:
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Spam Calls and Emails are annoying at best and dangerous at worst, especially with phishing scams on the rise.
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Identity Theft: Cybercriminals can use leaked personal information to impersonate you.
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Doxxing and Stalking: Having your address exposed online can be a serious safety risk.
Even if you’re cautious about sharing personal details online, data brokers pull information from various sources, including public records, social media, and past transactions.
How to Remove Your Data from the Internet
Once you see how much of your data is out there, the next step is taking it down. Here are your options:
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Manually Request Removal – Data broker sites are legally required to offer opt-out options. However, this process is tedious, as each site has different policies, and your data can reappear later.
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Use Google’s Removal Tool—While this will not delete information from data broker sites, it will remove your personal details from Google search results, making them harder to find.
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Automated Data Removal Services – Subscription-based tools like ExpressVPN’s paid Data Removal service ($8/month on average) will regularly scan and request takedowns for you.
My Take: Privacy Is a Commodity—But It Shouldn’t Be
The reality is that personal data has become a product. Companies profit from selling your information, while individuals struggle to reclaim their privacy. The fact that we now need paid services to remove our data highlights how flawed this system is.
That said, ExpressVPN’s free scan is a step in the right direction. Awareness is the first line of defense, and knowing what’s exposed gives you the power to take action. Ultimately, stronger privacy regulations and better consumer protections are needed to prevent data brokers from harvesting and selling our details in the first place.
Until that happens, tools like this are valuable—because when it comes to online privacy, what you don’t know can hurt you.
