A data broker is a company or individual that gathers personal information about people from various sources, like online activities, public records, and purchases. They then compile this data and sell it to businesses for marketing, research, and other uses. This information can include your contact information such as name, address, phone number, and email address. It could also include your location data, online browsing history, social media activity, demographic details, education and professional information, and financial information.

Opting out of data brokers is important for several reasons:

• Protect Your Privacy: Data brokers collect and sell detailed personal information, including your habits, preferences, and location. Opting out limits how much of your private life is accessible to companies.
• Reduce Spam and Unwanted Ads: By limiting the amount of information available about you, opting out can decrease the number of unsolicited marketing emails, phone calls, and ads you receive.
• Lower Risk of Identity Theft: Less available personal information means a lower chance of it falling into the wrong hands, helping to protect you from identity theft and fraud.
• Increase Control Over Your Data: Opting out gives you more say in who can access and use your personal information, ensuring it's only shared with your consent.
• Prevent Misuse of Information: Data brokers may not always handle your information responsibly. By opting out, you reduce the risk of your data being used in ways you don’t approve of or that could harm you.

• Aura scans data broker websites to find profiles that contain your information that was collected and created without your permission.
• Aura then sends requests to the data brokers to remove your information. This is done automatically and we update you on the progress along the way.
• Aura ensures ongoing protection by continuously monitoring the data broker websites and sending removal requests to help prevent brokers from recollecting your data in the future.

The Dark Web is a collection of websites, forums, and marketplaces that are only accessible by using the Tor browser. This specialized browser grants users a level of anonymity that is especially appealing to cybercriminals and hackers.

If your information is on the dark web (i.e., through a data broker data breach), criminals could commit identity theft, open credit accounts, take out loans, or make purchases in your name, leading to financial loss and credit damage.

Aura scans and monitors the Dark Web and alerts you if your SSN or personal info is found on the Dark Web, and offers recommendations for protection.

Aura, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, was established in 2014 by Hari Ravichandran following his experience with identity theft. In July 2019, Intersections Inc. and iSubscribed combined its services and renamed itself to Aura. As a result, their respective brands Intrusta and Identity Guard were also brought together.

Aura (and Aura.com) should not be confused with Aura International, a training and management consulting firm based in Beijing, China.

Aura does not sell customer data as described in our privacy policy (link). Aura does not operate any data broker or people data mining websites.

Aura offers 24/7 support based in the U.S.

You can get in touch with our customer support team directly by visiting https://www.aura.com/help.