How to Remove Yourself From People-Search Sites (2026)
A free, verified opt-out guide — with direct removal links for every major site.
Last updated:
16 Oct 2026 — added BADBOOL, a free volunteer-kept opt-out list, and a section on the extra removal rights of judges, police and their families (New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law and similar state laws).
Updated 8 October 2026: Radaris is gone — a New Jersey court transferred radaris.com in August 2026, so its opt-out no longer exists; its sister site Veripages is still live and now has its own row. Added free opt-outs for SearchPeopleFree, FamilyTreeNow, PeopleSearchNow, CyberBackgroundChecks and Spy Dialer, plus Google’s Results about you; fixed the PeopleConnect and ThatsThem links.
How do you remove yourself from people-search sites? Opt out of the biggest brokers first — Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, TruePeopleSearch, 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.
- Who it covers: California residents only — CalPrivacy verifies identity and residency — and only the 600+ brokers on the state's Data Broker Registry; unregistered people-search sites never see the request. FKKS (Aug 2026)
- Timing: brokers must pull requests at least every 45 days and finish within 45 days of retrieval — delete, or opt you out of sale and sharing if they can't match you — so allow up to 90 days per broker. CalPrivacy
- Uptake: more than 300,000 Californians had filed by spring 2026 and about 345,000 had signed up by the August go-live. TrustArc
- Penalty: a registered broker that ignores a request owes $200 per request per day from August 1, 2026. FKKS
Full walkthrough, timeline and what to do if a broker still shows you: DROP is live — what happens to your request now. Not in California? Everything below still applies to you.
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 |
| Veripages (Radaris network — radaris.com itself was taken offline by a New Jersey court order in August 2026) | Freemium | veripages.com/inner/control-privacy | ~24 h | 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 |
| SearchPeopleFree | Free | searchpeoplefree.com/opt-out | ~3 days | Yes |
| FamilyTreeNow | Free | familytreenow.com/optout | up to 48 h | Yes |
| PeopleSearchNow | Free | peoplesearchnow.com/opt-out | ~3 days | Yes |
| CyberBackgroundChecks | Free | cyberbackgroundchecks.com/removal | ~3 days | Yes |
| Spy Dialer | Free | spydialer.com/consumers | varies | Yes |
| Google Search (hides result pages, not the broker’s data) | — | Results about you | varies | Alerts you to new ones |
The manual process, step by step
0. If you're in California, file a DROP request first. Submit one free deletion request through CalPrivacy's portal on privacy.ca.gov; it reaches every registered broker, including most of the sites in the table above. Expect up to 45 days for a broker to retrieve it and up to 45 more to act, so give it about 45–90 days before you judge the result, then run the manual steps below only for sites that still show you (check whether they are on the registry — if they are, that's a complaint to CalPrivacy, not an opt-out form). CalPrivacy, DROP for data brokers Our DROP guide has the 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.
Want a longer free list? The Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List (BADBOOL) is a volunteer project kept on GitHub by the writer behind Yael Writes. It says it “is and will always be free”, and was last updated on 27 August 2026, though the author warns it is “not always current”. It marks which sites to do first, and also covers search-engine removal, special situations such as domestic violence, credit freezes and marketing lists. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA, so it can be shared for non-commercial use with credit BADBOOL on GitHub (updated 27 Aug 2026).
Or automate all of it
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 affiliate — human-assisted removal with broad broker coverage.
- Incogni — fully automated removal from the Surfshark team.
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.
Are you a judge, prosecutor or police officer? You may have extra rights
New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law covers active, former and retired judicial officers, prosecutors and law enforcement officers, and their immediate family members who live in the same household. It bars disclosure of their home addresses NJ.gov: Daniel’s Law (checked 16 Oct 2026). For postings outside New Jersey government websites, an authorised person sends the site a written notice asking it to stop the disclosure and remove the information NJ.gov: Daniel’s Law (checked 16 Oct 2026). The state’s Office of Information Privacy handles redaction on government websites and says it protects more than 10,000 covered people NJ Office of Information Privacy (checked 16 Oct 2026).
According to KrebsOnSecurity, companies that ignore a valid request face fines of $1,000 per violation, and at least 14 other states have passed similar laws. One firm, Atlas Data Privacy, has sued about 150 data brokers under the New Jersey law KrebsOnSecurity (16 Sep 2026). The laws face legal challenges. Industry groups argue the New Jersey law is overly broad and violates the First Amendment, the federal appeals court (Third Circuit) has not yet ruled, and West Virginia’s version was ruled facially unconstitutional in August 2025 KrebsOnSecurity (16 Sep 2026). If you think you qualify, check your own state’s law or ask your employer’s legal office; New Jersey’s office says it cannot give legal advice NJ Office of Information Privacy (checked 16 Oct 2026).
Last verified: . Opt-out links and processes checked against each provider's live removal page.
More people-search and data-broker opt-outs (checked 20 October 2026)
After the big sites above, these are the next 23 to clear. 15 are people-search sites and 8 are marketing and risk-data brokers, which sell to advertisers, employers and insurers rather than to the public. Most opt-outs are free and need only an email. Some need more: LexisNexis asks for your date of birth, and Whitepages’ form calls you with a code.
One form often covers several sites. BeenVerified’s opt-out also covers PeopleLooker and PeopleSmart. PeopleConnect’s covers Addresses.com. 411.com uses Whitepages’ form. AnyWho now appears to run on Spokeo data, so try Spokeo’s opt-out first, then PeopleConnect’s.
| Site | How to opt out | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuwber | nuwber.com/removal/link (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Profile URL (pre-filled), email + confirmation link. Fallback: [email protected] with a screenshot | ~24 h | DeleteMe guide (upd. 15 Sep 2026); yaelwrites Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List (GitHub, upd. 27 Aug 2026) |
| USPhonebook | usphonebook.com/opt-out/ (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Opt-out form. If it hangs, email [email protected] | Not stated | yaelwrites list (27 Aug 2026) |
| Advanced Background Checks | advancedbackgroundchecks.com/opt-out (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Email, verification link, then confirm DOB or address | Not stated | yaelwrites list (27 Aug 2026) |
| Neighbor.report | neighbor.report/remove (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Profile URL, name, email, address, captcha, then tick items to remove | ~24 h | DeleteMe guide (upd. 14 Sep 2026); search result on neighbor.report |
| SmartBackgroundChecks | smartbackgroundchecks.com/optout. Needs: Name + email + captcha, then an emailed link (expires in 24 h) to a form whose details must match the record | 3 days | Site page (checked 20 Oct 2026); yaelwrites list |
| USA People Search | usa-people-search.com/manage. Needs: Name + email + captcha, then an emailed link (24 h) to the full form | 3 days | Incogni guide (upd. 8 May 2025); site page (20 Oct 2026) |
| FastBackgroundCheck | fastbackgroundcheck.com/optout (as written by Incogni, no protocol) (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Name, email, phone, DOB or street address, city/state/ZIP | ~3 days | Incogni guide (upd. 7 Sep 2026) |
| InfoTracer | infotracer.com/optout/. Needs: Links to a TrustArc rights form or "Do Not Sell" page, or email [email protected]. May ask extra identity questions. Mail/fax form: | Up to 45 days | Site page (20 Oct 2026); yaelwrites list |
| CheckPeople | checkpeople.com/opt-out. Needs: Email + verification link | 5–7 days | Site page (20 Oct 2026); CPPA registry.csv |
| Social Catfish | socialcatfish.com/opt-out/. Needs: State, first/last name, email. Optional profile links, photos, phones | Within 15 days | Site page (20 Oct 2026); yaelwrites list |
| CocoFinder | cocofinder.com/remove-my-info (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Record URL, name, email | ~48 h | Incogni guide (mod. 11 Aug 2026) |
| PeopleWhiz | peoplewhiz.com/optout (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: Photo ID per Incogni (unconfirmed on site) | ~7 days | Incogni guide (mod. 11 Aug 2026) |
| Locate Family | locatefamily.com/removal2.html. Needs: Name, phone, real (non-disposable) email, page URL, entry number(s) | Not stated | DeleteMe guide (upd. 14 Sep 2026); site page |
| VoterRecords.com | Use the “record opt-out” link at the bottom of your listing on voterrecords.com. Its “privacy choices” toggle only stops sales and does not remove public-records data. | ~24 h | Incogni guide (mod. 12 Aug 2026); site page (20 Oct 2026) |
| PeopleByName | peoplebyname.com/remove.php (address as given by the source; the site blocks or refused our automated check). Needs: One request per record | Not stated | yaelwrites list (27 Aug 2026) |
Marketing and risk-data brokers. Opting out here mostly stops sharing; deletion is often a separate request. Epsilon’s opt-out only flags you “Do Not Share”, and Experian’s “Do Not Mail” flag lasts five years.
| Site | How to opt out | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomInfo | privacyrequest.zoominfo.com/remove/verify. Needs: Email, then a code by email | Not stated | Site page (20 Oct 2026); yaelwrites list |
| Acxiom | acxiom.com/optout/. Needs: Valid email + confirmation, or phone (877) 774-2094, or mail (PO Box 2000, Conway, AR 72033) | Within 2 weeks of confirming. Data already given to marketers is not recalled | Site page (20 Oct 2026); CPPA registry.csv |
| LexisNexis Risk Solutions (consumer) | consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request#privacy. Needs: Name, address, DOB (required). SSN/DL optional. Full or partial opt-out, depending on state of residence | ~2 weeks (stated for reports) | LexisNexis privacy page + Online Request Form Instructions PDF (20 Oct 2026) |
| Epsilon | legal.epsilon.com/dsr. Needs: Identity verified before deletion | Opt-out "may take several weeks or months". Opt-out = "Do Not Share" flag; deletion removes data | Epsilon US consumer-information page (20 Oct 2026) |
| Data Axle | data-axle.com/do-not-sell-my-data/. Needs: Name, address, email, phone (all required). Choose "delete" or "opt out of sale/sharing" | Not stated | Site page (20 Oct 2026); DeleteMe guide (upd. 14 Sep 2026) |
| Experian (marketing data) | experian.com/privacy/opting_out. Needs: Name, mailing address, name variants, emails, phones, which lists to leave | Not stated. "Do Not Mail" flag lasts 5 years. Redo after a move | Experian privacy pages (20 Oct 2026) |
| Equifax (non-credit data) | myprivacy.equifax.com/opt-in-opt-out/personal-info. Needs: Personal details. No account needed | Up to 45 days | Equifax Privacy Preference Center (20 Oct 2026); CPPA registry.csv |
| TransUnion (non-credit data) | service.transunion.com/dss/ccpa_optout.page. Needs: Name and contact info. SSN/DOB optional. 18+. No confirmation email unless you use an account | Opt-outs "generally processed daily". Deletion up to 45–90 days. Credit-report data can't be deleted | TransUnion Consumer Privacy Rights page (20 Oct 2026); CPPA registry.csv |
Gone or seized: no opt-out needed. In a New Jersey case under Daniel’s Law (Atlas Data Privacy v. Radaris), a court transferred 14 Radaris-network domains to Atlas between June and August 2026, including Rehold, Clubset, Trustoria and Dataveria; they now show a court-order notice. PeekYou’s opt-out page also now shows that Atlas controls the domain. ClustrMaps, OfficialUSA and PublicDataUSA were reported switched off in 2026 by Redact’s broker tracker and no longer load for us. Oracle closed its advertising data business on 30 September 2024. Veripages, part of the Radaris network, is still running.
Opt-out details come from each broker’s own page where it loaded, and otherwise from removal-service guides (DeleteMe, Incogni, Optery) and the community “Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List” on GitHub (updated 27 Aug 2026). Addresses shown as text could not be checked by us. Californians should use DROP first; it reaches every registered broker.
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; Whitepages: whitepages.com/suppression-requests), 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 take up to a week. 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.
I'm in California — should I still do the manual opt-outs?
Yes, but second, not first. File a free DROP request on privacy.ca.gov; since August 1, 2026 every broker on California's Data Broker Registry must retrieve it within 45 days and act within 45 days of retrieval, so allow about 45 to 90 days. Then run the manual opt-outs only for sites that still list you: if a site is on the registry it is in violation and you should complain to CalPrivacy, and if it is not registered DROP never reached it, so its own opt-out page is the only route. Outside California, DROP is not available and the manual process is still the starting point.
Can judges or police officers force people-search sites to remove them?
In some states, yes. New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law covers active, former and retired judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers and their household family members, who can send a written notice asking a site to stop disclosing their home address. KrebsOnSecurity reports that at least 14 other states have passed similar laws. These laws face First Amendment challenges, and a West Virginia version was struck down in August 2025, so check the current status in your state.