How to Remove Yourself From People-Search Sites

To remove yourself from people-search sites, search each major site for your own listing, copy the listing URL, and submit that site’s opt-out form, usually confirming by email. Start with the largest sites and the broker networks that feed smaller ones, keep a record of every request, and check again every few months, because many listings reappear when new data comes in.

It’s tedious rather than difficult. Most people can clear the biggest sites in an afternoon. The harder part is keeping them clear, which is what most of this guide is about.

What people-search sites are and where they get your data

People-search sites, sometimes called data brokers, compile profiles on individuals and publish them in a searchable form. A typical listing shows your name, age, current and past addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and a list of “possible relatives” or associates. Some sell fuller background reports behind a paywall.

The data comes from public records (property deeds, voter files where states allow it, court records), commercial sources such as marketing lists and old subscriptions, and other brokers. Because the sites buy from and sell to each other, the same address or phone number often turns up on dozens of sites at once.

Most of this is legal in the US. There is no general federal law that stops a company from compiling publicly available information. What the sites do offer, partly because of state privacy laws and partly to avoid bad press, is an opt-out process.

Why listings keep coming back

Many people opt out once, feel relieved, and find their listing back six months later. There are a few common reasons:

• Fresh data creates a new profile. If you move, change phone numbers or appear in a new public record, the broker may build a new listing rather than update the suppressed one.
• Variations of your name. “Robert J. Smith”, “Bob Smith” and “Robert Smith Jr.” can each have their own record.
• Networks and affiliates. Opting out of one site doesn’t always remove you from its sister sites, and a smaller site may simply copy data from a larger one you haven’t opted out of yet.
• Opt-outs that only hide, not delete. Some sites suppress your listing from public view but keep the underlying data, which can resurface after a site change.

The practical answer is to treat removal as a routine rather than a one-off task.

Step-by-step: how to opt out

1. Set up a separate email address. Most opt-outs ask for an email to send a confirmation link. Use a dedicated address, not your main personal or work one, so you aren’t handing the broker a new data point and so all the confirmations sit in one place.
2. Make a list of your details. Write down every name variation, past addresses from roughly the last decade, old phone numbers and email addresses. You’ll use these to search and to recognize your own listings.
3. Search yourself on each site. Search by name and state, then by phone number or address if the site allows it. Open every listing that is clearly you, including duplicates.
4. Copy each listing URL. Most opt-out forms ask for the exact profile URL, and it’s also your proof of what was there.
5. Find the opt-out page. It’s usually linked in the site footer under a name such as “Do Not Sell My Info”, “Privacy” or “Remove My Info”. Avoid ads for paid removal that appear at the top of search results when you look for it.
6. Submit the request and confirm it. Complete the form and click the confirmation link in the email. Confirmation links can expire, so do it straight away.
7. Record everything. Keep a simple spreadsheet with the site, the listing URL, the date you submitted, and the date you checked it was gone.
8. Check back. Revisit each site a week or two later to confirm removal, then again every three to four months.

Only give a site the information it needs to find your listing. If a form asks for far more than that, such as a full date of birth when your listing doesn’t show one, think about whether it’s worth it or whether a state privacy request would be a better route.

Opt-out notes for the major sites

Processes change often, so treat this as a general guide and follow what each site currently shows. We haven’t linked to the sites directly; search for the site name plus “opt out” and make sure you land on the site’s own domain.

Site	What to expect
Whitepages	One of the largest directories. The opt-out asks for your listing URL and may include an extra verification step, such as a phone call. Its premium reports may draw on data that the free listing doesn’t show.
Spokeo	A web form that asks for the profile URL and an email address, followed by a confirmation link. Each listing needs its own request.
BeenVerified	Search for your listing on the opt-out page, then confirm by email. Check for more than one record if you’ve lived in several states.
Intelius	Opt-outs go through the PeopleConnect suppression center, which also covers sister brands including TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate and US Search. You verify an email address, find your record and set it to suppressed.
TruePeopleSearch	A free site with a simple removal form linked from the footer. Find your record, then request removal.
FastPeopleSearch	Similar to TruePeopleSearch: a free listing with a removal page linked from the site. Check for duplicate records under name variations.
MyLife	Profiles often include a “reputation” style score. The removal route is usually through a privacy or “Do Not Sell” link in the footer and asks for the profile URL and matching details.
Radaris	Removal starts from a privacy or “Remove My Info” link, asks for the listing URL and an email, and is confirmed by email. Radaris often has several records for one person, so repeat for each.

These eight are a starting point, not a complete list. There are many more brokers, and a lot of smaller sites republish data from the big ones, so clearing the large sources first has a knock-on effect over time.

Use your state privacy rights

Several states now give residents rights to know what a business holds about them and to request deletion, and some have rules aimed specifically at data brokers. If you live in one of those states, a formal deletion request can reach data the public opt-out form doesn’t cover.

California goes furthest. Under its Delete Act, the state launched the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which lets California residents send one deletion request to every registered data broker at once. DROP opened to consumers on January 1, 2026, and from August 1, 2026, registered brokers must check it regularly and process the deletion requests they find there. If you’re a California resident, it’s the most efficient single step you can take, and it’s free. It covers brokers registered with the state, so keep checking the individual sites too.

Outside California, look for a privacy request link on each site. Many brokers process deletion requests from residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws, and some honor them more broadly. Rules differ from state to state, so check what your own state provides.

Paid removal services vs doing it yourself

Subscription services will submit opt-outs on your behalf across a long list of brokers and re-check periodically. Here’s an honest comparison:

	Do it yourself	Paid removal service
Cost	Free, apart from your time	Ongoing subscription
Coverage	As many sites as you have patience for	Usually a long list of brokers, but never every site
Re-checking	You have to remember to do it	Automatic scans and resubmissions
Control	You see exactly what was submitted	You rely on their reporting
Data shared	Only with each broker	With the service as well, so check its own privacy practices

DIY works well if you’re organized and only need to cover the main sites. A service makes more sense if you’ve moved a lot, have a common name with many records, or simply won’t keep up the re-checks. No service can remove every listing permanently, so be wary of any that claims it can.

Remove the listings from Google as well

Opting out of a people-search site removes the listing at the source, but Google may still show the old page for a while. Google’s “Results about you” tool complements the opt-outs: you add your contact details, Google alerts you when search results containing your phone number, email or home address appear, and you can request their removal from search. Google has also been expanding it to cover some government ID numbers, such as a driver’s license or Social Security number.

Removal from Google doesn’t delete the page itself, which is why you do both. Our guide to removing personal information from Google walks through that tool and the other removal routes step by step.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client.

Dana is a school counselor who has just moved after a difficult situation with a former partner. She searches her name and finds her new address on three people-search sites within a month of the move.

• Day one: she creates a new email address used only for opt-outs, lists her name variations (including her maiden name) and her last three addresses, and starts a spreadsheet.
• That week: she opts out of Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, MyLife and Radaris, and uses the PeopleConnect suppression center to cover Intelius and its sister sites. She finds two records on Radaris and one under her maiden name on Spokeo, and removes each.
• Next: she sets up “Results about you” so Google alerts her if her new address appears in search.
• Two weeks later: she re-checks each site. One listing is still live, so she resubmits.
• Ongoing: she puts a reminder in her calendar to search every three months, and turns on address confidentiality options where her state offers them for people in her situation.

The result isn’t invisibility, but her new address is far harder to find, and she’ll know quickly if it resurfaces.

Common mistakes

• Using your main email. It hands brokers a confirmed, active address and buries confirmations in your inbox.
• Stopping after one round. Relisting is normal. The routine matters more than the first pass.
• Missing name variations. Search middle initials, nicknames, maiden names and common misspellings.
• Paying a site to remove its own listing. Opting out of a free listing should never cost money.
• Forgetting the search results. Removing the source is half the job; ask Google to refresh the outdated result too.

People-search listings are usually one part of a wider picture. If you want to tidy up old accounts, posts and profiles as well, see our guide on how to clean up your digital footprint.

When to get help

DIY is enough for most people. It’s worth bringing in help if your safety is at risk and you need a thorough, documented sweep quickly, if your listings are tied to other harmful content such as a news story or forum thread, or if you’re a public-facing professional whose search results matter to your work. Our personal reputation management service covers the full picture of what appears for your name, and our content removal service handles removal requests beyond people-search sites. Results depend on each site’s policies, and we’ll tell you plainly what can and can’t be removed.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to remove yourself from people-search sites?

Yes. The major sites all offer a free opt-out. Paid services only save you time by submitting the requests for you. If a site asks you to pay to remove a free listing, look for its privacy request route instead.

How long does an opt-out take?

It varies by site. Many listings disappear within a few days of confirming the request, while others take several weeks. Deletion requests made under state privacy laws can take longer because brokers have set periods to respond.

Why is my information back on a site I already opted out of?

Usually because the broker received new data, such as a new address or phone number, and created a fresh profile, or because a name variation produced a separate record. Submit a new opt-out and re-check every few months.

Can I remove myself from every people-search site?

Not realistically. There are too many sites, and new ones appear. Focus on the largest sites and broker networks, use any state privacy rights you have, and use Google’s “Results about you” tool to limit what shows in search.