How to Remove Your Address and Phone Number From People-Search Sites

Updated official information: 2026-10-08

• People-search sites collect information from public records, social media, and other data brokers, so removing one listing won’t erase every copy of your information.
• The most reliable free method is to find your listings, submit each site’s opt-out request, save confirmation details, and repeat the process periodically.
• California residents have an additional option: the state’s DROP service lets them send one request to over 600 registered data brokers, although exemptions and processing delays still apply.

What happens when you opt out of people-search sites?

Opting out can remove or suppress your address, phone number, age, relatives, previous locations, and similar details from a particular people-search website. It usually does not erase the original public record, remove information from every website, or prevent a new listing from appearing later.

People-search sites are a type of data broker. According to the Federal Trade Commission, they may build reports from public records, publicly visible social-media profiles, and information purchased from other brokers. That’s why your information can appear in several different reports even after you remove one listing.

The key distinction is simple: an opt-out changes what a particular website displays or sells; it does not automatically delete the underlying government record.

How to remove your information step by step

1. Make a private record of the information you find

Use a private browser window and search for your full name, phone number, current address, and older addresses. Try common name variations, including a middle initial or a shortened first name. Search combinations such as your name plus city or state/province.

Don’t copy sensitive information into notes that sync broadly across your devices. A simple private spreadsheet can track the site name, listing URL, date contacted, confirmation number, and expected follow-up date. If a website displays an unusually large amount of sensitive information, save only what you need to identify the listing.

2. Open the site’s privacy or opt-out page

Look for links labeled “opt out,” “remove my information,” “privacy choices,” “do not sell or share,” or “suppress my listing.” These links are often in the privacy policy or at the bottom of the website rather than on the report itself.

If you can’t find the link, search the site’s name together with phrases such as “opt out” or “remove my information.” The FTC recommends this approach because opt-out instructions differ from one people-search site to another.

3. Submit only the information needed for verification

Many sites ask you to confirm that you’re the person in the listing. Depending on the site, that may involve an email address, phone number, address history, or a verification link.

Be cautious if a site requests a driver’s licence, Social Security number, passport, or other highly sensitive document. Before submitting anything, check the privacy policy and confirm that you’re on the real company website. Never pay merely because a site makes the removal process look urgent or threatening.

4. Complete the confirmation step

Some opt-out requests are not complete until you click a link sent by email or text. Others require you to respond to a confirmation message or enter a code. Record the date you completed the request and keep the confirmation email until the listing is gone.

5. Check again and repeat

Search for the same name and contact details again after the site’s stated processing period. If the listing remains, use the confirmation record to contact the company or submit the request again.

There is no universal schedule for every people-search site. A practical routine is to check the most important sites every few months and whenever you move, change your phone number, or notice a new privacy or safety concern.

What opting out will not remove

Removing a people-search profile does not normally delete the source records behind it. Property records, court records, professional licences, business filings, and other government records may remain available through the relevant public agency.

Your name may also continue to appear in another person’s report. For example, a relative’s or former roommate’s listing may still show a connection to you. Some information may be retained or displayed because of legal exemptions or the site’s own policies.

Information can also reappear when a data broker receives a new address, phone number, public filing, or record from another broker. That’s why this is better treated as a recurring privacy-maintenance task than a one-time cleanup.

Free opt-outs versus paid removal services

You can submit opt-out requests yourself without paying. The trade-off is time: you must find the sites, complete their individual procedures, monitor the results, and repeat the work.

A paid service may be useful if you have many listings, limited time, or a higher need for ongoing monitoring. Before subscribing, check exactly what the service covers and how often it searches for reappearing information.

A service cannot guarantee that every public record or search result will disappear. Be especially skeptical of claims that promise permanent removal from the entire internet.

California residents: use the state’s DROP system

California residents have an additional tool called the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP. It lets an eligible resident send one request to over 600 registered data brokers instead of contacting each broker separately.

California’s service launched on January 1, 2026. Data brokers began processing DROP requests on August 1, 2026, and must access and process requests at least every 45 days. California says status updates can take up to 90 days to appear, so a pending result does not necessarily mean the request failed.

To use DROP, you verify California residency, create a profile, provide enough information for brokers to match you, and submit the deletion request. You can later check the status using your DROP ID and update your profile if your name, phone number, email address, vehicle, or other identifiers change.

DROP applies to registered data brokers and non-exempt personal information. It does not remove first-party information that you intentionally gave directly to a company, and some records may be marked exempt or not found.

What readers in Canada should know

Canada does not have a single national portal that removes your information from every commercial people-search website. The process generally depends on the company involved and the province or sector-specific privacy rules that apply.

If the information is held by a federal government institution rather than a commercial data broker, the federal Privacy Act provides rights to request access to and correction of personal information in relevant government records. That is a different process from removing a commercial people-search listing.

For a Canadian reader, start by identifying who controls the information, use that organization’s privacy or privacy-officer contact, and ask what information it holds, why it is being used, and whether correction or deletion is available. Keep copies of your request and the organization’s response.

A safer privacy-cleanup checklist

• Search your name, phone number, current address, and previous addresses.
• Prioritize listings that expose your current home, family relationships, workplace, or routine.
• Use each site’s official opt-out or privacy process.
• Provide only the information reasonably needed to verify the request.
• Save confirmation emails, request dates, and listing URLs.
• Recheck after the site’s stated processing period.
• Repeat the search every few months or after a major life change.
• Review public social-media visibility and account privacy settings as a separate task.

If your concern involves stalking, domestic violence, harassment, or an immediate physical-safety risk, don’t rely only on people-search opt-outs. Consider contacting local law enforcement, a domestic-violence advocate, or a specialized safety organization for help creating a broader safety plan.

Helpful Links

• Federal Trade Commission people-search site guidance – Review how people-search sites collect information and the FTC’s step-by-step opt-out guidance.
• California Delete Request and Opt-out Platform – California residents can learn about DROP, submit a deletion request, and check request status.
• California DROP consumer portal – Start the official California data-broker deletion request after reviewing the platform terms.
• Government of Canada privacy request process – Learn how to request access to or correction of personal information held by a federal Canadian institution.
• Remove my private info from Google Search – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I remove my address from Google completely?

A. You can request removal of certain personal information from Google Search, but that generally removes a result from Google’s search listings rather than deleting the information from the website that publishes it. You may need to contact the source website separately. Request removal of personal information from Google Search ↗

Q. How long does it take for a people-search opt-out to work?

A. The timing varies by website. Some sites process requests quickly, while others require email confirmation or additional verification. Check the site’s stated timeline, then search again and follow up using your confirmation details.

Q. Should I use my real email address for an opt-out request?

A. Use an email address you can access because many sites send a confirmation link. Before submitting, verify that you are on the legitimate company website and avoid providing more sensitive information than the site reasonably needs.

Q. Does opting out stop scammers from finding my information?

A. It may reduce one source of exposed information, but it cannot guarantee that scammers will not find you. Information may remain in public records, other brokers’ databases, social-media profiles, breach data, or reports connected to relatives and associates.