Search your own name and city, and there's a good chance one of the first results is a "people search" site listing your age, past addresses, relatives, and phone number for anyone to view. These are data brokers, and most people never explicitly agreed to be listed. Here's how they get your information and how to have it taken down.
Where the data actually comes from
Data brokers build profiles by combining several sources: public records (property deeds, voter registrations, court filings), data from other companies they've purchased or licensed, and automated scraping of social media and other public web pages. None of this requires your consent, because in most places the underlying records are legally public. The broker's product is simply making that scattered information searchable in one place — and in some cases, selling more detailed versions to background-check companies, marketers, or anyone willing to pay.
Step 1: Find out what's actually listed about you
Search your full name plus your city or state in quotes, and check the first two pages of results. Note which sites show up — common ones include Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, MyLife, Intelius, and PeopleFinders. Click through to confirm what specific information is listed (address history, relatives, phone numbers) since this affects how urgent removal is.
Step 2: Opt out of each site individually
There's no single master switch — each broker runs its own opt-out process, and most intentionally make it more tedious than signing up. Typical steps per site:
- Find your specific listing on the site and copy its URL or profile ID.
- Locate the opt-out page, usually linked in small text at the bottom of the site rather than the main navigation.
- Submit the removal request, which often requires the listing URL and sometimes an email confirmation.
- Some sites process removals within days; others take several weeks and require a follow-up.
Use a spare or alias email for these submissions rather than your primary one, since some brokers use the opt-out contact itself as a new data point.
Step 3: Know your legal options, if you're covered by one
Depending on where you live, you may have a stronger removal right than a voluntary opt-out:
- California residents can invoke rights under the CCPA to request deletion of personal information collected by a business, including data brokers.
- Vermont, California, and a growing number of other states maintain public data broker registries, which at minimum tell you which companies are legally required to register as brokers in that state.
- The EU's GDPR gives a similar deletion right to residents of the EU, regardless of where the company is headquartered, if it processes their data.
Even without a specific law covering you, most major brokers still offer a manual opt-out process open to anyone.
Step 4: Expect to repeat this periodically
Data brokers re-scrape public records on an ongoing basis, so a listing removed today can reappear months later from a fresh data pull. Set a reminder to re-check the major sites every six months rather than treating this as a one-time task.
Faster alternative: paid removal services
Services like DeleteMe or Incogni handle the opt-out submissions across dozens of brokers on your behalf for a recurring fee, and re-submit automatically as listings reappear. This trades money for time and is worth it mainly if you've found many active listings or have a specific safety concern (like an abusive ex-partner or stalker) that makes speed important.
Quick removal checklist
- Search your name and city to find which broker sites list you.
- Submit opt-out requests site by site, using a spare email where possible.
- Check whether a state or national privacy law strengthens your removal right.
- Re-check the major sites every six months, since listings do reappear.
- Consider a paid removal service if you have many listings or a time-sensitive safety concern.