I automated opt-outs for 500 data broker sites

Stephen L. Thorn released auto-identity-remove, an open-source tool that automates opt-out requests across 500 data broker sites [GitHub Repository]. The tool navigates each site’s deletion流程, submits forms, and handles CAPTCHAs, reducing a process that could take weeks to a few hours.

The tool runs in headless Chrome using Puppeteer, with preconfigured scripts for each broker’s opt-out page. It logs success rates and retries failed attempts, adapting to site-specific requirements like address formatting or multi-step verification [GitHub Repository]. Thorn maintains the list of brokers and updates selectors when sites change their UI.

Supporting 500 brokers—including Whitepages, Spokeo, and PeopleFinder—means the tool covers most of the major players that aggregate and resell personal data. Each opt-out typically requires name, address, and date of birth, which the tool submits programmatically. Some brokers require email confirmation or postal verification, which the tool flags for user action.

Being open-source, it allows public scrutiny of how data removal is handled and enables community contributions to expand coverage or improve reliability. Developers have already submitted pull requests to add regional brokers from Canada and Australia.

Privacy advocates have long criticized the patchwork opt-out systems data brokers use, calling them deliberately cumbersome. Automated tools like this bypass that friction—though they don’t address the root issue: the lack of federal privacy laws mandating automatic data deletion.

This isn’t a one-click fix. Users must still input personal details and monitor for follow-up steps. But it shifts the burden from manual labor across hundreds of sites to a single, repeatable workflow.