How to Remove Yourself From People-Search Sites (2026)

A free, verified opt-out guide — with direct removal links for every major site.

How do you remove yourself from people-search sites? Opt out of the biggest brokers first — Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, Radaris, and the PeopleConnect network (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate) — each has a free removal page. Expect 24 hours to a few weeks per site; they relist you every 3–6 months, so recheck quarterly or use an automated service.

If you have searched your own name and found your home address, phone number, and relatives on sites you never signed up for, this is how to get them down. It happens because these sites pull from public records and commercial data without asking. Everything below is free — paid services just automate the same opt-outs.

Key findings

Data-broker removal is free but slow, and the honest maths is this: opting out manually takes an afternoon per broker across dozens of sites, and they refill — brokers re-acquire your data from public records and each other, so removal is maintenance, not a one-off. That's the entire value proposition of paid services, and why we're upfront that we earn from both Optery and DeleteMe. Before you pay anyone: Optery has a genuinely free tier, and the highest-leverage single action isn't removal at all — it's cutting off the supply by getting a dedicated email alias so future signups never link back to your real identity.

🆕 California residents: you can now delete your data from 600+ brokers with one free request via the state's new DROP platform (brokers must process requests from Aug 1, 2026). Do that free step first — see our full DROP guide for how, and what to do if you're not in California.

Priority removal list (verified opt-out links, 2026)

Start at the top — these show up most in search results and feed the smaller sites.

Site	View cost	Free opt-out	Time	Reappears
Spokeo	Paywall	spokeo.com/optout	24–72 h	3–4 mo
BeenVerified	Paywall	beenverified.com/f/optout/search	1–3 days	3–4 mo
Whitepages	Freemium	whitepages.com/suppression-requests	~24 h	Yes
Radaris	Freemium	radaris.com/control-privacy	up to 7 days	Yes
PeopleConnect (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search, Zabasearch)	Paywall	suppression.peopleconnect.us	~72 h	One opt-out covers all
PeopleFinders	Paywall	peoplefinders.com/opt-out	24–48 h	Yes
MyLife	Paywall	mylife.com (Privacy link)	varies	Yes
TruePeopleSearch	Free	truepeoplesearch.com/removal	~15 min	Yes
FastPeopleSearch	Free	fastpeoplesearch.com/removal	~24 h	Yes
ThatsThem	Free	thatsthem.com/optout	24–48 h	Yes

The manual process, step by step

Search your own name (add city or state) on the site and open your listing.
Copy the listing URL from your browser.
Open the site's opt-out page (above), paste the URL, and enter your email.
Solve any CAPTCHA and submit the request.
Click the confirmation link in your email — some expire within 48 hours.
Re-run the search in a few days to confirm you are gone.
Repeat for name variations, maiden names, and old addresses — each is a separate profile with its own URL.

Or automate all of it

Which service? We compare the two big ones on pricing verified from source in Optery vs DeleteMe (2026) — including the US-only restriction that rules DeleteMe out for most of the world. We earn commission from both, which is why that page also says plainly when Optery’s free tier, or the manual process above, is the better call.

Opting out of 100+ brokers by hand takes roughly 15–20 hours and has to be repeated every quarter. Removal services do it for you and keep re-filing as you get relisted:

Optery Sponsored — free exposure scan, then automated removal across 600+ sites.
DeleteMe — human-assisted removal with broad broker coverage.
Incogni — fully automated removal from the Surfshark team.

Automate your removal with Optery Sponsored

Free exposure scan across 600+ data brokers, then hands-off removal and continuous re-filing each time you get relisted.

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Then stop the data brokers refilling Sponsored

Removal is only half of it — brokers re-list you from new signups tied to your real address. StartMail's unlimited aliases mean each new service gets its own address, so there's nothing fresh to correlate back to you. 7-day free trial, 50% off.

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What to know before you start

You will reappear. Brokers re-scrape every 3–6 months — recheck quarterly.
Opt out of aggregators too. Wholesale data brokers (Acxiom, Oracle, LexisNexis) feed the people-search sites, so removing yourself there is more durable.
Stop pre-screened offers. optoutprescreen.com removes you from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis marketing lists.
You can only remove yourself. Most sites reject requests made on behalf of other adults — each person must file their own.

Last verified: July 13, 2026. Opt-out links and processes checked against each provider's live removal page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove myself from people-search sites for free?

Every major people-search site must offer a free opt-out. Go to each removal page (Spokeo: spokeo.com/optout; BeenVerified: beenverified.com/f/optout/search; Radaris: radaris.com/control-privacy), find your listing, submit it with your email, and confirm via the email link. Paid services only automate these same free opt-outs.

How long does a people-search opt-out take?

Most process within 24 to 72 hours; a few like Radaris take up to 7 days. Re-run a search on yourself afterward to confirm removal, since sites do not always send confirmation.

Do I stay removed permanently?

No. Sites re-scrape public records every 3 to 6 months, so listings reappear. Treat removal as recurring and recheck quarterly, or use an automated service that keeps re-filing.

Can I opt out on behalf of someone else?

Generally no. Most sites require each person to submit their own opt-out, and the PeopleConnect network rejects authorized-agent requests. You can only remove your own information.