How to Remove Yourself from Data Broker Sites (2026 Guide)

What Are Data Broker Sites?

Data brokers are companies that collect, aggregate, and sell personal information. Sites like Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified, ThatsThem, and PeopleFinder compile your name, address, phone number, email, relatives, and more into searchable profiles.

This information is gathered from public records, social media, purchase histories, and other sources. Most people have no idea how much of their personal data is publicly available on these sites.

Why Remove Yourself?

Privacy: Anyone can find your home address, phone number, and family members with a simple search.

Safety: Stalkers, scammers, and identity thieves use these sites to find targets.

Reputation: Old addresses, estimated income, and other data points create a profile you may not want publicly available.

Professional image: When clients or employers search your name, data broker results often appear alongside your professional profiles.

Major Data Brokers and How to Opt Out

Spokeo: Visit spokeo.com/optout, search for your listing, paste the URL, enter your email, and click the confirmation link they send you. Removal takes a few days.

WhitePages: Go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests, find your listing, and follow the opt-out steps. You may need to verify by phone.

BeenVerified: Email privacy@beenverified.com with your full name and a link to your profile. They process removals within a few weeks.

ThatsThem: Visit thatsthem.com and look for their opt-out or contact page. Submit a removal request with your profile URL.

PeopleFinder: Go to peoplefinder.com/optout and follow the instructions. You will need to provide your listing URL.

TruePeopleSearch: Visit truepeoplesearch.com/removal and submit your listing for removal.

Tips for Effective Removal

Create a dedicated email address for opt-out requests. This keeps your primary inbox clean and avoids giving brokers your main email.

Screenshot each listing before requesting removal. This documents what was exposed and confirms the listing existed.

Check back after 30 days. Some sites re-add your information from updated data sources. You may need to repeat the opt-out process periodically.

Be patient. Most sites process removals within 1-4 weeks. Some take longer.

Ongoing Protection

New data broker sites appear regularly, and existing ones may re-acquire your data. Make opt-out requests a semi-annual routine.

Limit the personal information you share online. Every form you fill out, app you sign up for, and purchase you make can feed the data broker ecosystem.

Use our free Digital Presence Report tool to check what information about you is currently visible online. It can help you identify which areas need attention.