You searched your own name and found your home address, phone number, age, and a list of your relatives sitting on a people-search site you never signed up for. Maybe a recruiter mentioned it, maybe a sketchy text used your old address, or maybe you just want your details off the open web before someone misuses them.
Here is the honest framing before you start. Opting out hides your public listing; it does not erase you from the original public records, and most brokers re-scrape and re-list your data within three to six months. Treat this as a recurring chore, not a one-time fix.
The steps below are ordered quickest and broadest first (statewide tools and Google), then the individual people-search sites, then marketing and credit brokers. Work top to bottom and you will clear the highest-impact listings fastest.
Gather Your Info and Find Every Listing First
Before touching any form, collect what brokers use to find you: full legal name, name variations and maiden name, current and previous addresses, date of birth (required by some, such as PeopleConnect), and an email for verification. For credit-prescreen and LexisNexis you also need your SSN and DOB.
Most people have several profiles on a single broker (different spellings, old addresses, maiden name). Each listing has its own URL and must be opted out individually, so search each site by name AND by email or old address before you begin. Save every profile URL you find.
Use a dedicated or disposable email for the confirmation links. This keeps the broker from tying the request back to your primary inbox.
Submit One Statewide Request (California DROP)
If you are a California resident, one request reaches over 500 registered brokers for free through the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP).
- 1.Go to the DROP consumer portal at consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov (linked from privacy.ca.gov/drop).
- 2.Step 1: confirm you are a California resident and verify through the California Identity Gateway, entering information directly or using Login.gov.
- 3.Step 2: give basic information about yourself; you choose how much you provide (name, address, email, phone, date of birth, optionally a mobile advertising ID).
- 4.Step 3: submit the single request once and it propagates to every registered broker.
Your info is not retained by DROP, and parents may submit for children and relatives for elderly family. The platform launched January 1, 2026; beginning August 1, 2026 brokers must delete your data within 90 days. DROP only covers verified California residents and registered brokers; before August 2026, results may be slower or voluntary.
Locate Every Broker (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)
If you are outside California, there is no single-request tool, so work broker by broker using a directory.
- 1.Open privacyrights.org/data-brokers, a searchable database of 750+ brokers compiled from the California, Texas, Oregon, and Vermont registries.
- 2.Use its direct links to nearly every broker's privacy policy to reach each company's deletion procedure.
- 3.For each broker: visit the privacy policy, submit a formal deletion request, verify your identity, and wait for a response (generally within 45 days).
Remove Yourself From Google Search Results
Removing a result from Google does not delete the underlying page, but it stops your info from surfacing when people search you. Google offers automatic monitoring plus a manual form.
For the "Results about you" tool, log into the Google app, tap your profile picture or initial, and select "Results about you" (on web, go to the page directly via goo.gle/resultsaboutyou). Choose "Get started," enter the personal info you want found (nickname, maiden name, phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses, government IDs), and turn on notifications. To remove a match, open the "To review" tab, select a result, click "Request to remove," choose "It shows my personal info and I don't want it there," then "Contact Info," and finish. You get an email confirmation within hours and can track status under "Removal requests." These auto-monitoring features are rolling out for users over 18 in certain markets; under-18 users should use the manual form.
For the manual content-removal form, Google will remove your address, phone, or email; confidential government IDs (SSN, tax ID, resident ID); bank or credit card numbers; images of your signature or ID; private records like medical records; usernames and passwords; and doxxing content. Click "Start removal request," provide the exact page URLs that show your info, and add screenshots to help Google find the content. You will receive an email decision.
Opt Out of the People-Search Sites
These public-profile sites are the most visible offenders. Do them one at a time, click every verification link, and re-search to confirm.
- Spokeo: go to spokeo.com/optout, search by name then by email, copy each profile URL, paste it with your email under "Opt Out Your Listing from Spokeo," solve the reCAPTCHA, click "Opt Out," then click the link in the confirmation email. It should read "No Results Found" after 24 to 72 hours.
- BeenVerified: go to beenverified.com/svc/optout/search/optouts, search by name (add city or state), click "Proceed to Opt Out," enter your email, then click the verification link within 48 hours before it expires. Most requests process within 48 hours; you can also email privacy@beenverified.com or call 1-844-823-2869.
- Radaris: open the Radaris privacy control page (radaris.com/control-privacy), search by name, click "View Profile," enter your name, city, state, and the profile URL, complete the CAPTCHA, click the confirmation email link, and finish the final robot check. Removal usually reflects within 24 hours but is subject to approval.
- PeopleConnect Suppression Center (one request covers Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search): go to suppression.peopleconnect.us, verify a disposable email, then provide your DOB and legal name (DOB is required here), select your profile, choose "Suppressed" under "Desired Behavior," and click "Save." It hides within about 48 hours with no confirmation email, so re-check manually. If it fails, email privacy@peopleconnect.us or call 888-245-1655.
- Intelius (also covered above): go to intelius.com/opt-out, enter name and state, pick your record, click "continue," provide your email, click the verification link, select "Suppressed" under "Desired Behavior," and click "Save." Processing takes about 72 hours.
- Whitepages: find your listing on whitepages.com, copy its URL, go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests, paste the URL, select "Next," and complete the phone verification. Standard opt-out does not remove paid "Premium" listings.
- PeopleFinders / FastPeopleSearch / TruePeopleSearch: use peoplefinders.com/manage/optout.aspx, fastpeoplesearch.com/removal, and truepeoplesearch.com/removal. On each, search by name and state, select your record, submit, then click the confirmation email link (removal will not process without it). Re-search after about 48 hours.
- MyLife (no self-serve form): call 1-888-704-1900, or email privacy@mylife.com with your full name, current address, a deletion request, and any listing URLs, or mail 907 Westwood Blvd. #359, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Removal typically takes 3 to 7 business days, and it is always free.
Opt Out of the Risk and Marketing Brokers
These brokers feed advertisers and identity decisions rather than public profiles, so they have their own paths.
- LexisNexis: submit the Information Suppression Request at optout.lexisnexis.com (the privacy page button reads "CLICK HERE"), or mail PO Box 933, Dayton, OH 45401, or email privacy.information.mgr@lexisnexis.com. You can request your consumer disclosure, a full opt-out, a partial opt-out, or full deletion. Restricted public-records suppression is limited to public/elected officials and law enforcement, identity-theft victims, and people at substantial risk of physical harm, each requiring supporting documents (for example, a police report plus an Identity Theft Affidavit, a supervisor's letter, or a court protective order).
- Acxiom: go to isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx, open the "Consumer Opt Out Form," click "Select Opt out Segment," check Mailing Addresses, Phone Numbers, and Email Addresses, select "Me," add each item with the "+" buttons, click "Submit," click the email verification link, and complete the CAPTCHA. It processes within two weeks.
Stop Prescreened Credit Offers and Junk Mail
Two nationwide programs cut the offers that arrive because brokers sell your contact data.
- 1.Prescreened credit and insurance offers: go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688, the official site run by Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis. Provide your name, address, SSN, and DOB. A 5-year opt-out completes online; a permanent opt-out requires mailing the signed Permanent Opt-Out Election form. Requests process within 5 days, though offers keep arriving for weeks, and this has no effect on your ability to get credit or insurance. Use only optoutprescreen.com, never a look-alike site.
- 2.Direct marketing mail: go to dmachoice.org/register.php (the ANA's FTC-endorsed service), create an account, and opt out of credit card offers, catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail. Registration carries an administrative fee for a 10-year term, so check the current cost on the site before paying. Expect a noticeable drop 2 to 3 months later. The FTC also advises telling your banks, card companies, and utilities not to share your info for marketing.
Consider an Automated Removal Service
If doing this by hand and repeating it every few months sounds exhausting, a subscription service (DeleteMe, Incogni, Optery, Aura) will scan brokers, submit deletions, and re-scan every 60 to 90 days while you watch a dashboard. Pricing runs roughly $3.99 to $24.99 monthly, with annual plans often around half off.
Read the caveats: headline broker counts often include "custom" requests that are not automated, some services count a "not found" check as a removal, none can touch news articles or social posts, and PeopleConnect sites (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search) reject authorized-agent requests, so you must opt out of those yourself. Meaningful results require at least three months of continuous service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will opting out delete me from the internet permanently? No. Opting out hides a broker's public listing but does not remove the original public-record source or stop other brokers. Data commonly reappears in three to six months as brokers re-scrape, so this is an ongoing task.
Why do I keep finding multiple listings for myself on one site? Brokers build separate profiles from name variations, maiden names, and old addresses. Each profile has its own URL and must be opted out separately, or the ones you missed survive.
I submitted an opt-out but nothing changed. What went wrong? Most flows require you to click a verification link, and some expire fast (BeenVerified's link expires after 48 hours). If you miss it, the removal never processes. Check your spam folder and resubmit. PeopleConnect sites send no confirmation at all, so re-check manually after 48 hours.
Is there a single tool that opts me out everywhere? Only for verified California residents, through DROP, which reaches over 500 registered brokers in one request. Residents of other states must opt out broker by broker or pay an automated service.
Does removing a result from Google delete the content? No. It only affects what Google indexes. A full removal means the page will not show up on Google Search, but the source page still exists on the web and at the broker.
Will the credit-offer opt-out hurt my ability to get a loan? No. Per the FTC, opting out of prescreened offers has no effect on your ability to apply for or obtain credit or insurance, and you can opt back in the same way.
