How to remove your personal information from data brokers and search
Your home address, phone numbers, relatives, and age are probably for sale on dozens of people-search sites. Removing them is tedious and never permanent, and it's still worth doing, especially for executives, public figures, and anyone with a reason to be careful.
Where the information comes from
Data brokers compile profiles from public records such as property deeds, voter files, court records, and business filings, combined with marketing data, social media, and other brokers. People-search sites such as Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, and many others sell access to those profiles, and search engines index the result pages, which is how your address ends up in Google results for your name.
Opting out, site by site
- Most people-search sites have an opt-out form, usually linked from the footer as "Do not sell," "Opt out," or "Privacy."
- Search each site for every version of your name, past and current addresses, and relatives' listings that include you.
- Use a dedicated email address for opt-out requests, since many sites require confirmation by email.
- Keep a log of each site, the date, and the confirmation. Listings reappear when brokers refresh their data, so the work repeats every few months.
- Commercial removal services automate much of this for a subscription. They cover the major sites well and the long tail less well.
Google's "Results about you"
Google's Results about you tool lets you request removal of search results that show your phone number, email address, or home address, and it can alert you when new results with your contact information appear. Removal from Google doesn't delete the page from the website itself, so pair it with an opt-out at the source. Google also has separate removal policies for doxxing, non-consensual explicit images, and certain other harmful content.
Your legal rights
California's Delete Act and DROP
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 request that goes to every registered data broker, and brokers must begin processing those requests in August 2026 and keep checking for new ones on a regular schedule. It's the most significant change to data broker removal in years.
Other states
California, Vermont, Texas, and Oregon require data brokers to register, which makes the industry easier to identify. A growing number of state privacy laws give residents a right to delete personal information held by businesses, with exceptions, so check what your state provides.
Outside the US
In the European Union and the United Kingdom, data protection law gives a right to erasure, and search engines handle delisting requests for results about you that are inaccurate, inadequate, or no longer relevant.
What removal can't do
Public records themselves usually stay public, though some states let certain people, such as judges, law enforcement officers, and domestic violence survivors, shield their addresses. Legitimate news coverage is rarely removable. Where removal isn't available, the practical answer is a stronger, accurate public record that ranks above what you can't remove.
Protecting the people around you
Broker profiles link relatives, so a spouse's or parent's listing can expose your address even after your own is removed. For executives and public figures, the work should cover the household, old addresses, and any properties held in a personal name. Consider holding new property in a trust or entity where that's appropriate, and use a mailing address that isn't your home for registrations and subscriptions.
Keeping it clean
Brokers refresh their data from public records and other brokers constantly, so removed listings come back. A quarterly sweep across all the major sites catches relistings early, and monitoring tools, including Results about you, flag new appearances between sweeps.
A sensible routine
- Search your name, with and without your city, in Google and Bing, and on the largest people-search sites.
- Opt out of every listing you find, and log each request.
- Set up Results about you, and use DROP if you're a California resident.
- Repeat every three months.
- For families and executives, cover spouses, children, and older addresses as well.