Remove your personal info online

Websites called “people-search sites” collect your address, phone number, age, and relatives’ names, and sell reports about you to anyone who pays. You can ask most of them to stop, for free. It takes some time, and you’ll need to check back now and then.

What people-search sites and data brokers are

The FTC says data brokers are companies that collect information about people and sell or share it. People-search sites are one kind. To build a report about you, the FTC says they may:

• buy information from other data brokers,
• collect information from public social media profiles, and
• gather government public records, like property records, voter registration, court records, and marriage and divorce records.

With just your name or phone number, someone may be able to buy a report showing your age, current and past addresses, relatives’ names and addresses, and more (FTC). That can help scammers make their calls sound real. For survivors of domestic violence or stalking, the FTC notes it can be a safety issue.

How to opt out yourself, for free

Most people-search sites let you tell them to stop selling your information. That’s called opting out. The FTC’s steps:

1. Search for yourself on a people-search site. Start with your phone number or address.
2. If you find a report about you, look for the opt-out link and follow the steps. If you can’t find it, search the web for the site’s name plus “opt out” or “remove my information.”
3. Repeat on other sites. There are a lot of them.
4. Check back every so often. If new information shows up, opt out again.

Use a separate email address for opt-outs if you like, so confirmation emails are easy to find. Keep a simple list of which sites you opted out of, and the date.

Opt-out pages for some big sites

These links go to each company’s own opt-out page. We checked each one on the company’s own site on Oct 18, 2026. usaBob has no connection with these companies, and this isn’t a complete list.

For a longer list of people-search sites, the FTC points to guides from the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Remove results from Google Search

Google has a free tool called Results about you. Google says it can:

• find search results that show your home address, phone number, or email address,
• let you ask Google to remove them from search results (select the result, then “Request to remove”), and
• email you if new results with your information show up, if you turn on notifications.

You need a Google account to use it. You can also ask Google to remove results that show very private information, like a Social Security number, bank account or card number, medical records, or a picture of your signature or ID, using the personal information removal request.

State laws and data broker registries

• California residents: DROP (free). Under California’s Delete Act, the state’s privacy agency runs the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP). One request goes to over 600 registered data brokers, telling them to delete and not sell your personal information. The state says it’s free and will never charge you. Data brokers had to start processing requests on August 1, 2026, and check DROP at least every 45 days. It could take up to 90 days to see your status update. You must be a California resident, and in some cases you can file for another California resident, like an elderly relative.
• Vermont requires data brokers to register every year with the Vermont Secretary of State.
• Texas keeps a registry of data brokers through the Texas Secretary of State.
• Oregon requires data brokers to register with the Division of Financial Regulation. Each one must describe how people can opt out, and Oregon publishes those descriptions for the public.

Anyone can look at the Texas and Oregon registries, wherever you live. They’re a way to find data brokers’ names so you can look for their opt-out pages. Other states have their own privacy laws, and they change often. Your state attorney general can tell you about your state’s rights.

Close old accounts and share less from now on

• Close accounts you don’t use. Old shopping, social media, and email accounts can still hold your information. Sign in and look for “delete account” or “close account” in the settings.
• Check your social media privacy settings. The FTC says people-search sites collect from public profiles. Consider making yours visible only to friends, and remove your phone number, address, and birthday.
• Don’t overshare. The FCC suggests keeping details like your birthday, pet’s name, and the last four digits of your Social Security number off social media, because scammers use them to pretend to be you.
• Think before you fill out forms, contests, and surveys. Give only what’s needed.
• Use strong, unique passwords and two-step sign-in on the accounts you keep. See Stay safe online.

Paid removal services

Some companies charge a yearly or monthly fee to send opt-out requests for you. The FTC says it’s your choice: do it yourself for free, or pay a service. Before you pay, the FTC suggests finding out:

• how many sites it covers,
• whether it gives you a report of the sites it opted you out of, and
• how often it checks those sites again and removes information that came back.

Either way, you may have to give information to prove who you are. usaBob doesn’t recommend or link to any paid service. If you live in California, try the state’s free DROP tool first.

Sources

Last checked Oct 18, 2026.

1. FTC: What To Know About People Search Sites That Sell Your Information: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-people-search-sites-sell-your-information
2. Google Search Help: Find and remove personal info in Google Search results (Results about you): https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/12719076?hl=en
3. Google Search Help: Remove my private info from Google Search: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9673730
4. Google: Results about you: https://myactivity.google.com/results-about-you
5. California Privacy Protection Agency: Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP): https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/
6. Vermont Secretary of State: Data Broker: https://sos.vermont.gov/business-services/other-filings/data-broker
7. Texas Secretary of State: Registry of Registered Data Brokers: https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/data-broker-registry
8. Oregon Division of Financial Regulation: Data Broker registry: https://dfr.oregon.gov/business/licensing/data-broker-registry/pages/index.aspx
9. Spokeo: Opt out: https://www.spokeo.com/optout
10. Whitepages: Opt out (suppression requests): https://www.whitepages.com/suppression-requests
11. PeopleConnect: Suppression Center: https://suppression.peopleconnect.us/login
12. FCC: Port-Out Fraud Targets Your Private Accounts (don't overshare): https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/port-out-fraud-targets-your-private-accounts

Rules and numbers change. If something here does not match what an agency tells you, trust the agency, and please let us know.