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How to remove your personal information from the internet

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 15, 2026

You can get a lot of your personal information taken down — for free — by opting out of the data-broker and people-search sites that publish your name, address, phone, and relatives. It's tedious rather than hard, and some profiles reappear, so it's a recheck-every-few-months habit, not a one-time fix. Here's how to work through it.

1. Find where you're listed

You can't remove what you haven't found, so start by mapping it.

  • Search your own name plus your city in a search engine, and note the "people-search" sites that come up showing your address, phone, age, and relatives (Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, and the like).
  • Search your phone number and your email too — different brokers index different things.
  • That list of sites is your to-do list for the opt-outs below.

2. Opt out of the people-search sites

Nearly every data broker has an opt-out page — it's usually buried in the footer under "Privacy," "Do Not Sell My Info," or "Opt Out."

  • Work through your list one site at a time and submit each opt-out. Some ask you to confirm by email.
  • Removals can take days to weeks, and some profiles come back later, so plan to recheck every few months.
  • It's free — the only cost is your time. The FTC's guidance on protecting your privacy online covers the wider habit of limiting what's out there.

3. Use your legal right to delete

Depending on where you live, you can formally demand deletion — and companies must comply.

  • California (CCPA/CPRA), the EU and UK (GDPR), and a growing list of US states give you the right to ask a company to delete the personal data it holds on you.
  • Look for a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link or a "data subject request" / "privacy request" form.
  • This right applies to big platforms as well as brokers, so use it on any site holding more of your data than you're comfortable with.

4. Lock down the source

Removing listings helps most if you also stop new data flowing in.

  • Set social-media profiles to private, and remove your phone number, birthday, and address from public view.
  • Tighten app and account privacy settings so your profile isn't public by default.
  • Protect your personal information from breaches and phishing generally — the FTC's guide to protecting your info from hackers and scammers has the essentials.

Paid data-removal services can do this sweep for you on a subscription. They save time, but everything above is something you can do yourself for free — decide based on your time, not on pressure.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

The calls keep coming because data brokers sell your number. Cutting that off is the only thing that reduces the volume — blocking one number won't, they just rotate. Start with the free steps.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

To actually cut the volume, a data-removal service files opt-out requests across the brokers selling your number and keeps you off their lists. You can do this by hand for free — the service is worth it because the removals don't stay put.

See data removal →

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Frequently asked

Can I really remove my personal information from the internet for free?
A lot of it, yes. The data-broker and people-search sites that publish your address, phone, and relatives almost all have a free opt-out page, and privacy laws in California, the EU/UK, and many US states let you demand deletion. It's free but tedious, and some profiles reappear, so it's an ongoing habit rather than a one-time task.
How do I opt out of people-search sites like Spokeo or Whitepages?
Search your name to find which sites list you, then go to each site's opt-out page — usually linked in the footer under "Privacy," "Do Not Sell My Info," or "Opt Out" — and submit the removal request. Some require an email confirmation. Removals can take days to weeks, and you'll want to recheck every few months because listings can come back.
Are paid data-removal services worth it?
They can save you time, because they file and re-file opt-outs across many brokers for you — and the value is mostly in the re-filing, since removals often don't stay put. But everything they do, you can do yourself for free. Decide based on how much time you have, not on marketing pressure, and never buy one from a pop-up or unsolicited call.
Why does removing my info reduce scam calls and texts?
Scammers and telemarketers buy their contact lists from data brokers. The less of your information those brokers hold, the fewer lists your number and email land on over time. Removal won't stop calls overnight, but combined with call filtering it lowers how often you're targeted.

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