What data privacy protections exist for survivors of domestic violence?

If you're a survivor of domestic violence, both federal and state laws offer important privacy protections to help keep you safe in your housing.

Federal protections apply nationwide:

• The Violence Against Women Act prevents federally-funded housing providers from sharing your survivor status or documentation you provide.^¹ These records cannot be entered into shared databases where an abuser might find them.

State and Local Protections

• Address Confidentiality Programs are perhaps the most powerful data privacy tool available to survivors. Currently, 45 states plus D.C. offer these programs, which provide you with a substitute address to use on public records.^² This makes it significantly harder for someone to track you through databases.
• California: The Safe at Home program allows you to use a substitute address on government records, school forms, and many private records.^³ Recent updates (effective July 2024) have expanded eligibility to survivors of additional crimes like human trafficking and elder abuse.
• Other States: Privacy protections vary significantly by state. For example, Illinois prohibits landlords from disclosing that a tenant is a survivor of domestic violence to prospective landlords.⁴ New York allows survivors to shield voter registration information through a process that now requires only a sworn affidavit rather than a court order.⁵ Washington extends confidentiality protections to victims of stalking and harassment in addition to domestic violence.

Digital Records and Data Broker Protections

• In California and many other states, you can request that your name be redacted from publicly available court records related to your case.^⁶
• Beginning January 2026, California's Delete Act will provide a one-stop mechanism for survivors to submit a single deletion request to all registered data brokers, requiring them to erase your personal information within 45 days.^⁷
• Until then, you can still exercise data deletion rights under existing privacy laws. California's Consumer Privacy Act allows you to opt out of sharing and request deletion of your data from businesses, including data brokers.^⁸
• You don't have to do this work alone—privacy laws allow the use of "authorized agents" (advocates, attorneys, or specialized services) to submit opt-out or deletion requests on your behalf.^⁹

Comprehensive safety planning often includes both data privacy and physical safety measures. Domestic violence organizations have specialized expertise in safety planning, legal protections like restraining orders, and emergency housing options. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) can connect you with local resources that work alongside privacy protections to enhance overall safety.