YourControl: A free open-source Chrome extension for managing your data with non-public data brokers

What YourControl does

YourControl is a free Chrome extension that helps you manage personal data held by major non-public data brokers such as TransUnion, Experian, LexisNexis, and others.

Unlike public data brokers, AKA people-search sites, non-public ones don’t publish your information online. Instead, they distribute it to other businesses for purposes such as credit scoring, risk assessment, marketing, background checks, tenant screening, and more.

While many of these uses are legitimate and benefit both businesses and consumers, some major brokers source their data to people-search websites like Whitepages, Truthfinder, or Spokeo—contributing to your overall online exposure. 

YourControl explains how non-public brokers use your data and provides clear, step-by-step instructions to help you manage or remove it. All guidance is based on real-world testing by the team behind the tool.

Who made it, and why

YourControl is an open-source project under the MIT license. It is a free and not-for-profit tool, open to contributions from anyone interested in its development. The team behind it is Onerep, a company committed to protecting individuals from the risks associated with the exposure of their personal information online.

Onerep’s commercial data removal service prioritizes the removal from people-search sites, currently covering over 300. For users who want to stop the selling of their information by non-public brokers, the company provides a plan that covers those as well.

YourControl was built to complement the existing service by giving people a do-it-yourself option for managing their data with non-public brokers. Similarly, Onerep provides detailed opt-out guides for public data broker sites for users who prefer a manual approach.

Public vs Non-Public data brokers

Data brokers can be divided into two categories based on the accessibility of their databases:

Public data brokers

Also known as people-search sites (e.g., Whitepages, Truthfinder, and over 200 others), these:

• Publish pages containing your personal information that can be indexed by search engines.
• Make your data easily accessible to anyone, including potential malicious actors.
• Pose a direct privacy and safety risk due to their visibility.

Non-Public data brokers

These include major aggregators such as TransUnion, Experian, and LexisNexis. They:

• Collect and distribute personal data to businesses.
• Do not publish your information online openly.
• May share or sell data to other brokers, potentially contributing to public exposure.

Why use YourControl for removal from Non-Public Data Brokers?

YourControl provides a practical and transparent way to manage your data with non-public brokers on your own.

• Comprehensive research done for you: The YourControl team has done the heavy lifting by studying hundreds of pages and navigating through conflicting information about opt-out and removal processes with all brokers listed in the extension. We’ve tested the removal process with our own profiles across these brokers and distilled all this knowledge into clear, simple instructions.
• Prioritized removal: We’ve selected the brokers that matter most and prioritized where to start, ensuring your effort enhances your safety rather than creating an overload and a false sense of security.
• Informed decisions: Understanding how each broker uses your data and what removal options are available allows you to decide whether it’s necessary to take action and, if so, to proceed in the most optimal way.
• Simple and working guides: All guides are practical, step-by-step, and verified to work. Where processes are complex or have limitations, the extension explains what to expect and how to proceed.
• Convenient one-view interface: Everything happens in a single view, without the need to switch between tabs to follow the steps. Watch how you accelerate through the process like a pro.