Your Address, Phone Number, and Family Are All Online. Here's How to Remove Them.
A free, step-by-step guide to opting out of the 15 biggest people-search sites.
Data brokers are companies that gather your personal information from public records, court filings, social media, and other sites — then publish it on a search page that anyone with your name can find. They make money from background-check buyers, marketers, and anyone willing to pay for a quick lookup.
You never signed up. You never gave them permission. But because most of the source data is technically public, federal law does not require them to ask. The good news: every major broker is required to honor opt-out requests, and you can submit them yourself, for free, in an afternoon.
Google's own removal tool
Google has a free "Results about you" tool that scans Search for your name, phone, address, and email — then lets you request removal of any matches.
Where you'll find your information — and how to remove it
Start at #1 and work down. The top of the list reaches the most people, so the impact-per-minute is highest.
Whitepages
Shows: Name, age, current and past addresses, phone numbers, relatives, neighbors
Typical processing time: 24–48 hours
Open opt-out pageSpokeo
Shows: Addresses, phone numbers, email, family, social media accounts, court records
Typical processing time: 3–5 days
Open opt-out pageBeenVerified
Shows: Addresses, phones, emails, criminal records, marriage and divorce records
Typical processing time: 24 hours
Open opt-out pageTruePeopleSearch
Shows: Full address, phone, age, relatives — completely free, fully public
Typical processing time: 24–48 hours
Open opt-out pageIntelius
Shows: Background checks, criminal records, addresses, phones, professional licenses
Typical processing time: 5–7 days
Open opt-out pageInstant Checkmate
Shows: Criminal records, addresses, phones, social profiles, court records
Typical processing time: 48 hours
Open opt-out pageRadaris
Shows: Addresses, phones, family, employment history, education
Typical processing time: 1–2 weeks
Open opt-out pagePeekYou
Shows: Aggregated social media profiles, photos, contact info
Typical processing time: 7 days
Open opt-out pagePeopleFinder
Shows: Addresses, phones, age, relatives, court records
Typical processing time: 5–10 days
Open opt-out pageMyLife
Shows: Reputation scores, address history, relatives, alleged court records
Typical processing time: 10–14 days
Open opt-out pageUS Search
Shows: Addresses, phones, age, relatives, possible aliases
Typical processing time: 5–7 days
Open opt-out pagePublicRecordsNow
Shows: Addresses, phones, criminal and court records
Typical processing time: 7 days
Open opt-out pageFamilyTreeNow
Shows: Family tree, ages, addresses, possible relatives going back generations
Typical processing time: 48 hours
Open opt-out pageThatsThem
Shows: Addresses, phones, emails, vehicle info, IP addresses
Typical processing time: 24–48 hours
Open opt-out pageClustrr
Shows: Aggregated social and contact info
Typical processing time: 7 days
Open opt-out pageStep-by-step: removing yourself from Whitepages
Whitepages is the largest. Once you do it once, every other site works the same way.
Find your listing
Go to whitepages.com and search your full name and city. Open the result that matches you.
Copy your profile URL
In the address bar, copy the long URL of your specific profile page. You will paste it on the opt-out form.
Open the opt-out page
Visit whitepages.com/suppression_requests in a new tab. Paste your profile URL into the field and click "Next".
Confirm by phone
Whitepages will call you with a 4-digit code. Enter it to confirm the request. Your listing is removed within 24–48 hours.
Repeat for old addresses
If you find separate listings for an old address or a former name, repeat the process for each. Whitepages treats each as a separate record.
If you don't want to do it yourself
These services do the opt-outs on your behalf and re-check periodically. Honest pros and cons for each.
DeleteMe
$129/yearPROS
The most established service. Covers 30+ brokers, sends quarterly reports, US-based support.
CONS
Most expensive option. Will not catch every smaller broker on its own.
Kanary
$60/yearPROS
Half the price of DeleteMe. Covers 100+ sites and lets you add custom search terms.
CONS
Smaller company, less brand recognition. Customer support is online-only.
Optery
From $4.99/monthPROS
Free tier shows you exactly where you appear. Paid tiers cover hundreds of brokers automatically.
CONS
The cheapest tier covers fewer sites. Real coverage starts at the $14.99/month plan.
Keep it up — set a reminder for 3 months from now
Data brokers re-import public records on a rolling schedule. Even after a successful removal, your listing often reappears in 3–6 months. Add a recurring reminder to your calendar to spot-check the top 5 sites quarterly.
Frequently asked
How often should I check?
Every 3 months. Data brokers buy fresh records constantly — your removed listing will often reappear within a few months as a new "version" gets imported from public records.
Will this stop all tracking?
No. Removing yourself from these sites stops the public-facing exposure. It does not stop ad networks, social media tracking, or surveillance. For broader protection see our Privacy Hub.
Is it worth it?
Yes — especially if you have ever been doxxed, stalked, or had identity theft. Even if not, removing your phone and address from public sites cuts down on scam calls, junk mail, and social engineering attempts.
Can I have someone else do it for me?
You can use a paid service like DeleteMe or Kanary to do it on your behalf. Or a tech-savvy family member can submit the requests using your information — most sites do not require you personally.