Texas data privacy and data broker removal

Texas has both a comprehensive privacy law and a public data-broker registry, which puts it among the stronger US states for privacy protection. Here is what you can do with it.

Your rights in Texas

Texas residents are protected by the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA).

• Right to access and know. Request a copy of the personal information a company holds about you.
• Right to correct. Ask a company to fix inaccurate personal information.
• Right to delete. Ask a company to delete your personal information.
• Right to data portability. Get your data in a portable format you can take elsewhere.
• Right to opt out of sale. Tell a company to stop selling your personal information.
• Right to opt out of targeted advertising. Stop ads targeted at you based on your personal data.
• Right to opt out of profiling. Stop companies from building a behavioral profile of you.
• Right to appeal. Challenge a company's decision to deny your privacy request.

Does this cover the company that has my data?

Most companies that collect or sell personal data in Texas are covered. The TDPSA applies to any business that operates in Texas or sells to Texas residents, processes or sells personal data, and is not a small business under the US Small Business Administration definition.

Because it uses that small-business test instead of a fixed number of consumers or dollars of revenue, the law reaches far more companies than most state privacy laws.

How to remove yourself from data brokers in Texas

Texas gives you more tools than most states. Here they are, strongest first.

1. Use the data-broker registry

Texas requires data brokers to register with the state. The public registry shows which companies collect and sell your information and gives you a starting point for opt-out requests. Texas does not offer California's single-request deletion, so you contact each broker separately.

2. Enable Global Privacy Control

Global Privacy Control is a free browser setting that tells every site you visit not to sell or share your data. It takes about two minutes to enable and then works on every site automatically. Texas law requires covered businesses to honor it, so the signal carries legal weight.

3. Submit direct opt-out requests

For brokers not in the registry or covered by GPC, submit requests directly. Look for the "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link in the site's footer; most major brokers have one. You can also send access, deletion, or correction requests through each company's privacy policy page.

Covered companies must respond within the deadline the TDPSA sets. If they don't, you can file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General.

4. Automate ongoing removal

Even after you finish every step above, brokers pull your information back in from public records and commercial databases. Within a few months, the listings reappear. Staying removed is ongoing work, not a one-time task, and it is hard to keep up by hand.

Texas's data broker law: what it means for you

Texas requires data brokers to register with the state, so the registry shows who is collecting and selling your information. Each registered broker must:

• Register with the Texas Secretary of State each year and pay a $300 fee, with a $300 annual renewal.
• Post a clear notice on its site or app stating that it is a data broker.
• Maintain a comprehensive information security program.

The Secretary of State only collects the filings. The Texas Attorney General enforces the law, with civil penalties of at least $100 per day per violation plus any unpaid fees.

Other privacy protections in Texas

Beyond the comprehensive privacy law, two Texas protections may apply to you:

• Address protection for judicial officials. HB 5081, effective September 1, 2025, lets judges, court clerks, and judicial-branch staff require data brokers to take down their home address and other personal details.
• Biometric data. The Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI) covers data like fingerprints and face geometry. The Attorney General enforces it, with civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation, and there is no private right of action.

How to file a privacy complaint in Texas

File with the Texas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. To look up brokers, use the Texas Secretary of State data-broker registry.

The Attorney General enforces in the aggregate, investigating patterns rather than resolving individual disputes. Your complaint still matters: it adds to the record that drives enforcement.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• statutes.capitol.texas.gov
• sos.state.tx.us
• texasattorneygeneral.gov
• statutes.capitol.texas.gov (Chapter 509)