I have so many clients who come in and have been targeted by phone, email, or text. A new law can protect your contact information (e.g. names, addresses, phone numbers, data such as license plate numbers, emails, families, and friends connected with you, etc.) and that of your loved ones from being publicly available online or in databases to be used for nefarious or marketing purposes.
Indiana residents have powerful new tools to reclaim their digital privacy under the Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act (ICDPA) from companies that target residents; exceptions such as some government bodies apply. The Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act (ICDPA) officially went into effect on January 1, 2026. This comprehensive privacy law gives Indiana residents significant control over their personal information and mandates new transparency and security obligations for businesses.
The ICDPA grants Indiana residents several rights regarding their personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of their data. Consumers can also opt out of the processing of their data for targeted advertising, sales, or certain types of profiling. Businesses must obtain explicit consent before processing sensitive data.
The Indiana Attorney General is the sole authority for enforcing the ICDPA. Consumers cannot directly sue businesses by law. Businesses have a 30-day period to resolve violations before legal action is taken. Penalties for violations can be up to $7,500 each. Businesses must respond to consumer requests within 45 days, with a possible extension. If a request is denied, businesses must provide an appeal process and respond within 60 days.
Data brokers are the primary source of your personal details appearing in public search results.
There are a couple ways to remove data from brokers’ sites:
- Manual Opt-Out: Sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified have dedicated opt-out pages. Search for your profile, copy the URL, and submit it through their removal tool.
- Automated Services: Because data brokers often re-list information after a few months, consider using a paid removal service like DeleteMe, Optery, or McAfee Personal Data Cleanup to monitor and automate these ongoing requests.
Google offers tools to hide your information from its search engine. Use the “Google “Results About you” to find and request the removal of results containing your phone number, home address, or email. Also set your social media accounts to “Private” to prevent search engines from indexing your posts and photos.