Break the link between leaks and your real identity.
Field guides on breach exposure, people-search sites, data brokers, AI scams, public records, and the privacy work that actually shrinks your attack surface.
Leaks Happen. The Real Risk Is the Link Between Them. (Our Manifesto)
Leaked passwords are recoverable. Joined profiles are not. Why data leak protection has to break the link, not just chase the breach.
Read the manifestoLeak Check Me research library
Each guide is written to be useful before you buy anything: what to check, what to remove, and where the limits are.
Free VPNs Are Spying on You: The 2026 Data-for-Privacy Trap
Free VPNs like Hola, SuperVPN, and Urban VPN got caught selling user data in 2025. Here's why the free tier IS the surveillance — and what to do.
Read guideAI-Powered Scams Are Exploding — And Your Public Data Is the Fuel
AI scams surged 1,210% in 2025. Voice clones need 3 seconds of audio. The fuel is your public profile — here's how to take that fuel away.
Read guideThe Data Broker Loophole: How the Government Buys Your Location Without a Warrant
The Fourth Amendment requires a warrant for sensitive data. The data broker loophole lets the government skip it. Here's how it works and what's being done.
Read guide10 Free Tools to See How Much of Your Data Is Online (2026 Edition)
Ten free tools that show you what's exposed about you online — breach checkers, people-search lookups, and broker scans. Honest walkthroughs of what each one can and can't tell you.
Read guide6 Things You Can Do This Weekend to Shrink Your Digital Footprint
Six concrete privacy moves you can finish in a weekend — password cleanup, social lockdown, opt-outs, email aliases, port-out PINs, and dead-account pruning.
Read guideIncogni vs DeleteMe vs Optery vs Leak Check Me: An Honest 2026 Comparison
An honest, data-grounded look at Incogni, DeleteMe, Optery, and Leak Check Me — coverage counts, real prices, where each shines, and where each falls short.
Read guideWhat Is a Data Broker? The $290 Billion Industry That Sells You by the Profile
A data broker is a company that collects and resells your personal information. Here's how the $290B industry works — and what you can do about it.
Read guideWhy People-Search Sites Like Spokeo and Whitepages Keep Bringing You Back
Opt-outs from Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, and Radaris work — for 30 to 90 days. Here's why people-search sites keep relisting you, and what to do.
Read guideSIM-Swap Attacks Are Surging — Lock Down Your Phone Number in 30 Minutes
SIM-swap losses hit $25.9M in 2024 and UK cases rose 1,055%. Here's how the attack works and how to lock your number at AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
Read guideStalkerware on Your Phone: How to Detect and Remove It
Stalkerware is consumer spyware sold openly and installed by people you know. Here's how to detect it on iPhone and Android, and what to do safely.
Read guideThe OneRep Scandal: When Your Privacy Company Owns the Data Brokers It's Supposed to Scrub
OneRep's CEO founded the people-search sites OneRep claims to remove you from. Here's what happened, why Mozilla finally dropped them, and what it means.
Read guideHow to Use Google's 'Results About You' — And Why It's Not Enough
Google's Results About You tool removes your name and address from Google search results — but the source pages and data brokers behind them stay live.
Read guideYou've Been Doxxed. Here's What to Do in the First 24 Hours.
A calm, hour-by-hour playbook for the first day after a dox: what to report, what to lock down, who to call, and how to start scrubbing the source.
Read guideIdentity Theft Cost Americans Over $20 Billion in 2025 — Here's Where the Money Actually Goes
Fresh 2025/2026 stats on identity theft losses by attack type, victim age, and cash-out path — plus the connective tissue all of them share: broker data.
Read guideYour Email Address Is the Skeleton Key to Your Whole Identity
Your email is the join key for nearly every breach database and data broker profile. Here's why that's risky, and how aliasing breaks the link.
Read guideThe 50-Site Opt-Out List Every American Should File This Year
Real opt-out URLs for 50 data brokers, people-search sites, and ad networks — plus what each one knows and how long removal takes.
Read guidePublic Records vs. Data Brokers: What's the Difference (And Why It Matters)
Most data broker info isn't from hacks — it's from public records. Here's the difference, why you can't remove the source, and what you actually can do.
Read guideLoyalty Programs Are Quietly Profiling You. Here's What They Actually Know.
Kroger, Target, CVS, airlines, and credit-card rewards programs are explicit data exchanges. Here's what they collect, who they share with, and how to opt out.
Read guidePrivacy for Job Seekers: How to Clean Up Before Recruiters (and Scammers) Find You
Recruiters Google you. So do background-check vendors and scammers. A pre-job-search privacy checklist for cleaning up your digital footprint.
Read guideYou Got a Breach Notice. Now Remove the Data Broker Trail That Makes It Worse.
A practical breach-notice checklist for changing exposed credentials, finding public identity links, and removing the broker records that make follow-on scams easier.
Read guideFreeze Your Credit After Data Exposure: The Privacy Cleanup Order That Works
A current-day checklist for freezing credit, adding fraud alerts, checking identity-theft reports, and cleaning up the broker trail after your data is exposed.
Read guideRemove Your Phone Number From the Internet Before It Becomes a Scam Magnet
A practical checklist for finding exposed phone-number records, removing broker listings, locking carrier settings, and reducing SMS scam risk.
Read guideRemove Your Home Address From Data Broker Sites Before Scammers Connect the Dots
A practical cleanup order for finding exposed home-address records, filing broker opt-outs, and reducing address-based impersonation risk.
Read guideWhy Data Broker Profiles Come Back After an Opt-Out
A practical recheck plan for catching data broker relistings after an opt-out and keeping proof when your profile returns.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Confirmation Emails: What to Click and What to Save
A practical guide to handling data broker opt-out confirmation emails without losing proof or clicking unsafe links.
Read guideThe Data Broker Opt-Out Proof Log: What to Track After You File
A practical proof log for data broker opt-outs: what to save, when to recheck, and how to spot relisted profiles.
Read guideData Broker Deletion Request Denied? How to Refile Without Starting Over
A practical playbook for denied data broker deletion requests: what to check, what proof to save, and when to refile or escalate.
Read guideData Broker Identity Verification: What to Share and What to Refuse
A practical guide to data broker identity verification: when to provide matching details, what to avoid, and how to keep proof safe.
Read guideData Broker Removal Timeline: What Happens After You Submit an Opt-Out
A practical timeline for data broker opt-outs: what happens after submission, when to recheck, and how to spot stalled or relisted records.
Read guideCalifornia DROP: What It Changes About Data Broker Removal
A practical guide to California DROP: who can use it, when brokers must process requests, and what proof to keep outside the state portal.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
A practical guide to stalled data broker opt-outs: when to wait, when to refile, and what proof to keep before escalating.
Read guideDuplicate Data Broker Profiles: Why One Opt-Out Is Not Enough
A practical guide to duplicate data broker profiles: how they happen, how to find them, and how to track removals without losing proof.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Appeal Email: What to Say When Removal Fails
A practical appeal email template for stalled or denied data broker opt-outs, plus the proof to include before escalating.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Recheck Schedule: When to Look Again
A practical recheck schedule for data broker opt-outs: when to verify removal, when to wait, and when to refile or escalate.
Read guideNo Data Broker Opt-Out Confirmation Email? What to Check First
A practical checklist for when a data broker opt-out confirmation email never arrives: what to check, when to wait, and when to refile safely.
Read guideOpt-Out Says Removed but the Data Broker Profile Is Still Live
A practical checklist for when a data broker says your opt-out was completed but the profile, snippet, or duplicate record still appears online.
Read guideData Broker Removal Service Checklist: What to Verify Before You Pay
A practical checklist for evaluating a data broker removal service before you pay: coverage, proof, rechecks, cancellation terms, and what the service can never remove.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out for Renters: Clean Up Old Addresses Before They Follow You
A renter-focused checklist for removing old addresses from data broker profiles, reducing address-linking risk, and keeping proof when you move.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Forms Are Built to Fail. Here's How to Beat the Friction.
A practical checklist for handling buried, confusing, or multi-step data broker opt-out forms without losing proof or giving up too early.
Read guideConnecticut's New Data Broker Law Shows Why Opt-Out Proof Still Matters
A practical guide to Connecticut's 2026 data broker law timeline and why consumers still need opt-out proof while deletion portals phase in.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out for Elderly Parents: A Caregiver's Proof Checklist
A caregiver checklist for finding and removing data broker profiles for elderly parents while keeping proof and avoiding over-sharing details.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out for New Phone Numbers: Stop Old Profiles Following You
A practical cleanup plan for keeping a new phone number from reconnecting to old data broker profiles, SMS scams, and people-search listings.
Read guideThe 1,000-Site Data Broker Universe Leak Check Me Analyzes
A transparent look at the broker, people-search, public-record, phone lookup, and directory sources Leak Check Me uses to plan scanning, removal, and patrol coverage.
Read guideLeak Check Me Daily Growth Ops: What to Check After Launch
A practical daily growth operations checklist for Leak Check Me after launch.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guideHow to Turn a Data Broker Scan Into a Removal Plan
A practical way to turn exposed data broker scan results into a prioritized removal plan with proof, rechecks, and next actions.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guideWeekend Privacy Sweep: Recheck Data Broker Profiles Before They Return
A practical weekend checklist for rechecking data broker profiles, catching relisted records, and keeping proof before exposure spreads again.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guideWhat a Same-Day Privacy Exposure Check Should Prove
The proof a privacy exposure scan should collect before you trust that data broker work moved forward.
Read guideData Broker Opt-Out Stalled? How to Tell Waiting From a Real Blocker
How to decide whether a data broker opt-out is simply waiting or genuinely blocked.
Read guide