How to remove your information from people search and data broker sites

Quick answer

To remove your information from people search sites, find each listing, copy its URL and submit it to the site's opt-out page (Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified and PeopleConnect each have one), then confirm by email or phone. California residents can use the free DROP platform to send one deletion request to every registered data broker. In the UK and EU, send a right to erasure request under GDPR. Then ask Google to drop the results with Results about you, and recheck every few months.

Key numbers

• 600+registered data brokers receive a single California DROP deletion requestCalifornia Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy)
• 70%of listings were gone within a week when volunteers opted out manually, beating paid removal servicesConsumer Reports
• 20US states have comprehensive consumer privacy laws in effect in 2026MultiState

Type your name into a people search site and there is a good chance you will see your home address, mobile number, age and the names of your relatives on one page. Anyone can see it: a recruiter, an ex, a scammer building a convincing phishing message. California alone has more than 600 registered data brokers, according to the state's privacy regulator.

You can get most of it taken down, for free. It takes some patience, because every site has its own form and listings can come back. This guide gives you the exact steps for the US, UK and EU, in the order that removes the most with the least effort.

How do I remove my information from people search sites?

You remove your information by submitting an opt-out request to each people search site, using a privacy law where you have one, and then asking Google to stop showing the old listings. The order matters:

1. See what is out there. Search your name, city and phone number on Google and on the big sites below. Our guide to what the internet says about you covers the full self-search.
2. Make a list of every profile URL that shows your details. You will need the exact links.
3. Use a one-stop law if you have one. Californians should use DROP first, since it reaches every registered broker.
4. Opt out site by site for the largest people search sites, starting with those that rank on Google for your name.
5. Ask Google to remove the results with Results about you.
6. Recheck in 30 and 90 days. Sites refresh their data and listings can reappear.

Use a separate email address for opt-outs. Most forms send a confirmation link, and you don't want to hand brokers your main inbox. Never pay a people search site to remove a listing; opt-outs are free.

How do I opt out of Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified and other big sites?

Each major people search site has a free opt-out page where you paste your profile URL or search for your record, then confirm by email or phone. These four cover a large share of US listings:

Tips that save hours

• One URL per request. If you have lived at several addresses, Spokeo and Whitepages may have several profiles for you. Submit each one.
• Skip the paid report buttons. On Whitepages, open the free "View Details" listing to get the URL, not the upsell.
• Finish the last step. On PeopleConnect, verifying is not enough: you must change "Desired Behavior" to Suppressed and save. On Spokeo and BeenVerified, nothing happens until you click the email link.
• Check sister sites. BeenVerified's company also runs PeopleLooker and others, and it is not clear one opt-out covers them all, so search each.
• Look for the footer link on smaller sites like TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, Radaris and MyLife. It is usually labeled "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information", "Opt out" or "Remove my record".
• Keep screenshots of each confirmation with the date.

Removal usually takes a few days, but Whitepages says it can take up to a few months. Opting out of a people search site does not delete the underlying public record, such as a property deed or court file. It stops that site from publishing it.

How does California's Delete Act and DROP work?

California's Delete Act created DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, a free state website where California residents send one deletion request to every registered data broker at once. It launched in January 2026, and brokers had to start processing requests on August 1, 2026.

1. Go to privacy.ca.gov/drop and start a request.
2. Verify you live in California, either by entering your details or signing in with Login.gov.
3. Add the details brokers should match: name, email addresses, phone numbers and addresses. More details mean more matches.
4. Submit. You get a DROP ID to check your status later.

Brokers must download the DROP list at least once every 45 days and report back on each request. They also have to keep checking new data they collect against your request, so a deleted record should not quietly return. CalPrivacy says status updates can take up to 90 days to show, and the first full cycle runs into November 2026. From January 1, 2027, a newer law, AB 883, requires brokers to process deletions within 30 days.

DROP only covers businesses registered as data brokers in California, and data they hold that is not exempt under the law. Brokers can mark some records as exempt, and the platform does not touch public records at their original source. Keep doing site-by-site opt-outs for anything still showing after a few months.

You can also file a DROP request for someone else, such as an elderly parent or a child.

Can I remove my data if I don't live in California?

Yes. Every site above accepts opt-outs from anyone, and residents of states with privacy laws have stronger legal rights to deletion. MultiState counts 20 states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws in effect in 2026, including Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

In those states you can ask a company to delete your data and to stop selling it. When you send a request, name your state's law. Oregon, Texas and Vermont also require data brokers to register with the state, and those public registries are a good list of companies to contact. No other state has a one-stop deletion tool like DROP yet.

Once your opt-outs are in, run a fresh check to see what is still visible.

A Search A-Z Check yourself search shows what a stranger can still connect to your name in one report: job and company, public social and professional profiles, news and web mentions, and for US searches, public records such as addresses, phones and age. The person searched is never notified, and that includes you.

How do I remove my information from people search sites in the UK?

In the UK, you remove your information by sending the site a right to erasure request under UK GDPR, and by opting out of the open electoral register so new copies don't carry your address. The Information Commissioner's Office says the organization has one calendar month to respond, and the request is usually free.

1. Opt out of the open register. Contact your local council's electoral services. It doesn't affect your right to vote or your registration.
2. Find your listings on UK directories such as 192.com and business directories that list a sole trader's home address.
3. Send an erasure request to each site's privacy or data protection contact, in writing, and keep a copy.
4. Complain to the ICO if they refuse without good reason or ignore you after a month, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

A simple request you can copy:

I am writing to request erasure of my personal data under Article 17 of the UK GDPR. My name is [full name], and your site lists me at [profile URL]. Please delete all personal data you hold about me, stop processing it, and confirm in writing within one month. I object to the use of my data for marketing and people search purposes.

The ICO says organizations can refuse in some cases, for example where they have a legal obligation or for freedom of expression, but they must explain why and tell you about your right to complain.

How do I use GDPR Article 17 to delete my data in the EU?

In the EU, Article 17 of the GDPR gives you the right to have a company erase your personal data "without undue delay" when, among other grounds, it no longer needs the data, you withdraw consent, you object and it has no overriding reason, or the processing is unlawful. Send the same kind of written request as the UK script above, citing Article 17 of the GDPR.

• Write to the company's data protection officer or privacy contact. Many have a web form.
• Object to processing for direct marketing at the same time. That objection is absolute.
• If they refuse or don't answer within a month, complain to your national data protection authority. The European Data Protection Board lists them all on its members page.
• Ask Google to delist outdated or irrelevant results about you. EU residents can request this under data protection law even where the page itself stays up.

Article 17 has exceptions for freedom of expression, legal obligations, public health, archiving and legal claims, so accurate news reporting is usually not erasable.

How do I remove people search results from Google?

Use Google's free Results about you tool to find and request removal of Search results that show your phone number, home address, email or government ID numbers. Google says more than 10 million people have used it. Add your details, turn on alerts, then tap "Request to remove" on each result.

Two limits to know. Google only hides the result; the people search page stays online until you opt out at the source. And Google generally won't remove news, government or educational pages. For other cases, Google has a separate removal request for doxxing and personal information.

Are paid data removal services worth it?

Paid removal services save time but are less effective than doing it yourself, according to the best test so far. In a four-month Consumer Reports study with 32 volunteers, manual opt-outs removed about 70% of listings within a week. The best paid services, EasyOptOuts and Optery, removed about 65% and 68% after four months. Two others managed 4% and 6%.

Every volunteer in the study still had information on some sites at every checkpoint. Whichever route you choose, recheck regularly. If your details are out there because of a breach rather than a broker, our guide on how to check if your data was leaked covers passwords, credit freezes and SIM swap protection.

Can I remove myself from Search A-Z?

Yes. Search A-Z has a free Remove my details form, and we honor it. Tell us your name and the phone numbers, email addresses and profile links that are yours. We stop showing them, and any report that contains them, straight away. We keep a scrambled (hashed) copy of each detail so we can keep blocking it, plus a record that we handled your request. For the difference between a people search like ours and a regulated screening report, read people search vs background check.

The bottom line

Start with the law that does the most for you: DROP in California, UK GDPR or GDPR Article 17 in Europe. Then opt out of the big people search sites one URL at a time, ask Google to drop the results, and recheck every few months. It is tedious, but it is free and it works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove my name from people search sites for free?

Find your profile on each site, copy the URL and submit it on the site's opt-out page, then confirm by email or phone. Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified and the PeopleConnect Suppression Center all offer free opt-outs. California residents can use the free DROP platform.

What is the California DROP platform?

DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, is a free CalPrivacy website created by the Delete Act. California residents submit one request and every registered data broker, more than 600, must process it. Brokers started processing on August 1, 2026 and must check the list every 45 days.

How long does it take to get removed from people search sites?

Spokeo says 2 to 3 days, BeenVerified up to about a week, and Whitepages from a few days to a few months. DROP status updates can take up to 90 days. Consumer Reports found manual opt-outs cleared about 70% of listings within a week.

Why does my information keep coming back?

People search sites refresh from public records and data suppliers, and a new address or phone can create a new profile. Recheck every 90 days. Under DROP, brokers must keep matching new data against your request, which should reduce reappearing listings in California.

Can I make a UK people search site delete my data?

Usually yes. Send a right to erasure request under UK GDPR. The organization has one calendar month to respond. If it refuses without a valid reason, complain to the ICO. Also opt out of the open electoral register through your council.

Do data removal services actually work?

Partly. In a Consumer Reports test, the best services removed about two-thirds of listings in four months, while manual opt-outs removed about 70% in a week. They can save time, but you still need to check the results yourself.

How do I remove myself from Search A-Z?

Use our free Remove my details form. List your phone numbers, emails and profile links, and we stop showing them and any report that contains them straight away.

Sources

1. CalPrivacy: DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform
2. CalPrivacy: about DROP and the Delete Act
3. CalPrivacy: processing DROP requests (broker obligations)
4. Malwarebytes: Californians can tell data brokers to DROP their information (August 2026)
5. Consumer Reports: people-search removal services largely ineffective
6. MultiState: comprehensive privacy laws that take effect in 2026
7. ICO: your right to get your data deleted
8. GDPR Article 17: right to erasure
9. Google Search Help: Results about you
10. Norton: how to remove your information from Whitepages

Figures are the latest published by each source when this guide was updated. Reported fraud losses are a floor: most fraud is never reported.