How to remove your info from people-search sites

People-search sites build profiles of US residents from public records and commercial data: property and court records, voter files in some states, marketing lists, phone directories and old account data. A typical listing shows your age, current and past addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and the names of relatives. Anyone can look it up, often for free at the top level.

You can remove most of these listings. It takes patience, the results are partial, and you will need to repeat some steps. This guide sets realistic expectations and a routine that keeps the work manageable.

What opt-outs can and cannot do

An opt-out asks one company to suppress your profile on its website. It can:

• remove your listing from that site's search results
• often remove it from other sites run by the same parent company
• stop that company from showing your record for a period of time

It cannot:

• delete the public records the profile was built from
• remove copies other sites have already made
• stop a new listing appearing when fresh data arrives, such as after you move

Treat opt-outs as maintenance rather than a one-time fix. The goal is to make your address hard to find in a single search, which is a meaningful improvement in safety and nuisance calls.

Before you start

Set up a few things that make the job easier and avoid giving these sites more data than they already have:

• Create a separate email address just for opt-out requests. Many sites email a confirmation link, and you do not want those messages tied to your main inbox.
• Make a log with the site, date submitted, the URL of your listing, any confirmation number and a "recheck" date.
• Note the variations of your name and the addresses you have lived at in the past ten years. Listings often exist under each variation.

Do not give a people-search site more information than it asks for. Some request a phone number for verification. Consider whether you are comfortable with that before continuing, and use the separate email whenever possible.

How a typical opt-out works

The process varies, but most major US sites follow a similar pattern:

1. Search for yourself on the site and find your listing. There may be more than one.
2. Copy the listing's URL.
3. Find the opt-out page. It is usually linked in the footer as "Do Not Sell," "Opt Out," "Privacy" or "Remove my information." If you cannot find it, search the site name plus "opt out."
4. Paste the URL or select your listing, enter the email address you set up, and complete the captcha.
5. Click the confirmation link in the email.
6. Check back after the stated processing time, often anywhere from a day to a few weeks.

Some companies run several brands from one database. PeopleConnect, for example, runs Intelius, Instant Checkmate and TruthFinder, and one suppression request through its central opt-out page can cover all of them. When a site mentions a parent company in its privacy policy, look for a single opt-out covering every brand.

Where to start

Hundreds of these sites exist. You will get the most value by starting with the ones that rank highest when you search your own name, because those are the ones strangers actually see. Search "[your full name] [your city]" in a private browser window and work through the people-search results on the first two pages.

Commonly listed sites in the US include Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, Radaris and the PeopleConnect brands. We do not link to them or recommend any of them; check their current opt-out instructions on their own websites.

Use state tools where you have them

State privacy laws are slowly making this easier. California's Delete Act created the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, known as DROP, run by the California Privacy Protection Agency. Since January 2026, California residents can submit one deletion request that goes to every data broker registered in the state, and from August 2026 registered brokers have had to check the platform regularly and process those requests. It covers registered data brokers rather than every website, so you may still need to opt out of some sites individually.

Several other states, including Vermont, Texas and Oregon, require data brokers to register with the state, which gives you a public list of companies to contact. A number of state privacy laws also give residents a right to request deletion from businesses that hold their data. Check your state's attorney general or privacy agency website for current details.

Should you pay a removal service?

Paid services submit opt-outs to a long list of sites and recheck on a schedule. They are useful if you have limited time or a strong safety reason to stay off these sites, and less useful if a handful of sites account for most of your results. Before paying, check which sites the service covers, how often it rechecks, and whether it shows you proof of each removal. A service cannot remove more than the opt-out process allows.

If your safety is at risk

If you are dealing with stalking, domestic violence or threats, tell the people-search sites. Some have faster processes for people at risk. Many states run address confidentiality programs that give survivors a substitute address for public records, which stops new listings appearing at the source. A victim-support organization can help you apply.

Recheck on a schedule

Put a reminder in your calendar for three months after your first round, and every six months after that. Search your name again, compare the results with your log, and resubmit where listings have returned. The second and third rounds take far less time than the first, and the self-audit keeps the data-broker steps in one place.

Common questions