TL;DR

• Each data broker runs its own database. Opting out of one does not remove you from the others, you have to do each separately.

• Eight sites cover most of the exposure: Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, MyLife, FastPeopleSearch, TruePeopleSearch, and the PeopleConnect network (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search).

• Most opt-outs take 10-15 minutes each and are free, though a few require phone or email verification.

• Brokers relist people over time. Plan to recheck every few months, this is maintenance, not a one-time task.

• If doing this manually across dozens of sites isn't realistic for you, that's what automated data removal services are built for.

Data brokers compile your name, address, phone number, and relatives from public records and sell access to anyone who searches. The eight sites below are consistently among the largest and most commonly cited sources of this kind of exposure. This is a step-by-step reference for opting out of each one directly.

Before you start

• Search your own name plus city and state on each site first, you need to find your specific listing before you can request its removal.

• Use a browser in private/incognito mode if a site requires you to view your own listing to copy its URL, this avoids the site tracking repeated visits back to you.

• Keep a note of what you submit and when, so you know what to recheck later.

The 8 opt-outs

Spokeo

Search your name on Spokeo, open your listing, and copy the URL from your browser's address bar. Go to spokeo.com/optout, paste the URL, enter your email, and complete the CAPTCHA. Confirm through the email Spokeo sends you. Expect the listing to come down within 24-72 hours.

Whitepages

Find your listing on Whitepages and copy its URL the same way. Go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests, paste the URL, and provide a phone number for verification, this is the fastest of the three removal paths Whitepages offers. Whitepages states up to 72 hours, though verified requests often come down faster.

BeenVerified

Go directly to beenverified.com/f/optout/search, search for your record, select it, and confirm removal by email. Processing typically takes 1-3 business days.

Radaris

Copy your profile URL from Radaris, then submit it at radaris.com/control-privacy along with your email. This one requires creating a free account to manage the request, and can take up to 7 days to process.

MyLife

Search your name and location on MyLife and copy the URL of any profile that's yours. MyLife's opt-out form asks for the state, name, city, ZIP, and birth year on the listing, plus the profile URL. If the form gives you trouble, email privacy@mylife.com or customercare@mylife.com directly with your name and profile link. MyLife is one of the more persistent relisters, so plan to recheck this one specifically every few months.

FastPeopleSearch

Go to fastpeoplesearch.com/removal, enter your email and agree to the terms, then search for your listing by name, city, and state. Click Remove My Record and confirm through the verification email. This is one of the faster opt-outs here, most records come down within an hour and always within 72 hours.

TruePeopleSearch

Go to truepeoplesearch.com/removal. TruePeopleSearch emails you a link to the actual opt-out form rather than showing it immediately, and that link expires after 24 hours, so submit the form as soon as it arrives rather than saving it for later. Fill in the details matching your listing, and watch for a confirmation once it's processed.

PeopleConnect network (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search)

These sites are commonly owned by the same parent company, PeopleConnect, which also runs close to 20 people-search and background-check sites in total. Submit a request at suppression.peopleconnect.us with your email, then your date of birth and full legal name once you confirm the email. After a few days, search your name on each individual site (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, US Search) to confirm the listing actually came down on that one too, don't assume one submission cleared all of them without checking.

Why this has to be repeated

Data brokers acquire new records constantly, from public filings, purchases, and other brokers reselling data to each other. A listing you removed can reappear months later because new information triggered a fresh listing, not because the original removal failed. Set a reminder to recheck these eight sites every few months rather than treating this as done after one pass.

If this is more than you want to manage manually

Eight sites is manageable in an afternoon. But, there are hundreds of smaller data brokers beyond these eight. Staying on top of all of them by hand is a recurring chore most people don't keep up with. That's the specific problem automated data removal services solve, they submit and resubmit opt-outs across a much larger list on an ongoing basis. Our guide to choosing a data removal service covers what actually separates an effective one from the rest, including independent testing data on how well these services really perform.

The bottom line

These eight sites cover a meaningful share of the data brokers most likely to have your information. Work through them once, then put a recheck on your calendar every few months, since relisting is the norm, not the exception. If you'd rather have this running continuously across a much larger list of brokers instead of managing it by hand, that's exactly what EverGuard's automated data removal is built to do, alongside credit, identity, and dark web monitoring in one dashboard, get started today.

FAQ

How do I remove myself from data brokers?

Search your name on each broker's site, locate your specific listing, and submit that broker's opt-out request, usually by copying your listing's URL into an opt-out form and confirming by email or phone. Each broker has to be done separately since they don't share databases.

Is there a free data broker removal service?

The opt-out process itself is free on every major broker. What costs money is paying someone else to do it for you on an ongoing basis across a larger list of sites. If you're willing to do it yourself and repeat it periodically, you don't need to pay.

How much do data removal services cost?

Paid standalone services commonly run in the range of $20 to $250 per year depending on coverage and features. Our data removal service guide breaks down what you get at different price points.

Do data broker removal services actually work?

Partially, and inconsistently. Independent testing has found manual opt-outs can outperform some paid services, though the better paid services add ongoing rechecking that's hard to keep up with by hand. See our full breakdown for the specifics.