Data Brokers Harm Abuse Survivors, We Need a Law to Stop Them

Abuse survivors live at the mercy of data brokers. Tell Congress to end their reign of terror. 

Abuse survivors who have endured domestic violence, stalking, harassment, or other harms have no control over what private information data brokers have on them and who they sell it to. Abusers can easily purchase personal information from data brokers and use it to stalk, threaten, and harass anyone. 

Last year, California passed a law that gives its residents the right to demand that data brokers stop collecting and selling their data. All abuse survivors across the country deserve this right, no matter where they live. A federal version of the Californian law, the DELETE Act, is moving at glacial speed in Congress. We think it’s time it moved a little faster. Endorsed by dozens of civil and human rights organizations, the DELETE Act would be a major harm reduction for abuse survivors and anyone vulnerable to abuse. Tell Congress to give survivors control over their privacy and safety, and pass the DELETE Act now!

Petition Text:

Dear Representatives,

I’m writing to urge you to pass the DELETE Act, H.R.4311, a bill that will give survivors and everyday people alike control over their privacy.

The business model of data brokers is built on an invasion of privacy. They collect and sell our most sensitive and private information like our home address, phone number, and social security number to literally anyone, usually without our knowledge or consent. Hundreds of data brokers sell Americans’ personal information with little to no oversight, making it impossible for individuals to have any control over their privacy. The sale of personal data is particularly harmful to abuse survivors and those vulnerable to abuse. Abusers can easily purchase their victim’s personal information from data brokers, and use it to stalk, harass, and threaten them.

The DELETE Act would be a major harm reduction for abuse survivors and anyone vulnerable to harassment and intimidation. Its Do Not Call-style list for data brokers will make it easy and free for Americans to demand that data brokers stop collecting and selling their personal information.

Everybody, especially abuse survivors and those vulnerable to abuse, deserves to lead a private life and be safe. The DELETE Act will make this possible and should be passed immediately. I’m asking you to take the first step of co-sponsoring this bill and then do everything in your power to bring it to a vote.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Background

The DELETE Act, H.R.4311, is a bill in Congress that will empower Americans against data brokers, allowing them to regain some control over their privacy. Data brokers’ business model is built on an invasion of privacy. They collect and sell our most sensitive data like our home address, phone number, and social security number to literally anyone, usually without our knowledge or consent. 

The data broker industry is particularly dangerous for abuse survivors and those vulnerable to abuse. When a home address or phone number is a click away, it’s far too easy for abusers to use it to stalk, threaten, or harass survivors. People fleeing and recovering from abuse can’t feel or be safe knowing that there is a whole industry built on betraying them to their abusers. 

There are over 500 data brokers out there. If you want these data brokers to delete your information and stop selling it to whoever wants it, you have to research each broker and figure out their individual and unique data deletion policy. This can be an impossible task, costing immense amounts of time, money, and stress. Privacy protections can’t continue to be a matter of personal responsibility—there are simply too many data brokers. 

California shows that a legislative solution to this problem is possible. Last year, it passed a law that will let its residents demand that data brokers stop collecting and selling their data. The California law requires all data brokers to register with the state and mandates a Do Not Call-style list for data brokers. Through this list, Californians can, with a single click, opt-out of being included in the databases maintained and sold by data brokers. But these protections are available to only those living in California. 

The DELETE Act is the federal version of the California law, ensuring that all people in the US get this meaningful protection against data brokers, no matter what state they live in. Endorsed by dozens of civil and human rights organizations, the DELETE Act would be a major harm reduction for abuse survivors and anyone whose job or life potentially exposes them to harassment and intimidation. 

If you believe that abuse survivors and those vulnerable to abuse deserve to have control over their private information and safety, send a message to your lawmakers right now and tell them to pass the DELETE Act.