How many kinds of sensitive data does each data broker collect?
211 of the 603 registered data brokers (35%) collect at least one of the ten sensitive categories on the registry, and 57 collect two or more.
- None: 392 of 603 registered data brokers (65%)
- 1: 154 of 603 registered data brokers (26%)
- 2: 31 of 603 registered data brokers (5.1%)
- 3: 15 of 603 registered data brokers (2.5%)
- 4 or more: 11 of 603 registered data brokers (1.8%)
Sensitive data categories collected, out of ten
Key findings
- 392 brokers (65%) answered no to all ten sensitive categories.
- The broadest collectors report 6 of the ten categories.
The data
| Sensitive data categories collected, out of ten | Brokers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| None | 392 | 65% |
| 1 | 154 | 26% |
| 2 | 31 | 5.1% |
| 3 | 15 | 2.5% |
| 4 or more | 11 | 1.8% |
Shares are of 603 registered data brokers.
How we made this chart
Data brokers that operated in California in 2025 had to register with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) in 2026. The registration form asks each one the same questions, and CalPrivacy publishes every answer.
The ten categories are: precise geolocation, gender identity or expression, government id numbers, personal information of minors, sexual orientation, account logins or security codes, citizenship or immigration status, biometric data, reproductive health care data, union membership. We counted how many of them each registration answered yes to.
Limits to keep in mind:
- Every figure is self-reported by the broker on its registration. CalPrivacy publishes the answers as filed, and DeepSearch has not audited them.
- Affiliated companies often register separately, so one corporate group can appear several times.
- The registry lists businesses that meet California's definition of a data broker: companies that sell data about people they have no direct relationship with. A company that only uses data from its own customers is not on it.