| Symbols | Meanings |
|---|---|
| ☠ | high priority |
| 🎫 | requires driver’s license (cross out your ID #!) |
| 📫 | must use snail mail |
| 💰 | site charges money for access or removal (whaaaat?) |
**This list, also known as BADBOOL, was started on September 29, 2017 and was most recently updated in December 2023 to update Acxiom’s international opt-out URLs and email addresses, to update instructions for Intelius, to add TruePeopleSearch.com, and to update Xlex, which is now USA-Official. We also removed Spoke.com.
Please send corrections or updates to yael@yaelwrites.com, or file a pull request. (You can find other ways to contact me here). Screenshots in emails are incredibly helpful. I will add opt-outs where users can verify that the data broker has their information before providing it, and where removal is not limited to GDPR/CCPA/etc.
Disclaimers: Some of these opt-outs take a long time to go through. Sometimes, information is pulled from other sources and you’ll need to opt out multiple times for the same site. Data brokers come and go (and are bought out by others), and they also often change their opt-out pages. I try to update this ~every six months, but it’s not always current. Finally, even opting out of these sites doesn’t mean that your address is secure. In many states, real estate data and voter registration information is public (or easy to obtain). And, of course, location data can be found by physical means (e.g., following you home) and through other people who know it (i.e., social engineering). That said, removing your home address from data broker sites can significantly lower your attack surface and make it harder for people to find it. 💕
CC BY-NC-SA: This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
If you've been doxed, you can remove your contact info from Google Search and Bing.
https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/3111061
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/concern/bing
Google further allows you to remove non-consensual or intimate personal images, involuntary fake pornography, irrelevant pornography from Google search results for your name, content about you on sites with exploitative removal practices, and several other categories of information.
It is hard to find your own info for free, but people in some countries can opt out using the following links:
[https://gdpr-fr.eu.acxiom.com/](https://www.acxiom.com/privacy/fr/
https://www.acxiom.com/privacy/datenschutz/ (Germany)
https://www.acxiom.com/privacy/it/ (Italy)
https://www.acxiom.com/privacy/es/ (Spain)
https://isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx#section8 (U.S.)
Users in Austria, India and Switzerland may email Datenschutz@acxiom.com.
Other international requests should click on https://privacyportal.onetrust.com/webform/342ca6ac-4177-4827-b61e-19070296cbd3/6896cf25-6953-4500-9c69-5a8fb6f6f932
If you don’t have an email address, call (877) 774-2094 and follow the prompts.
Search for your information here: https://www.advancedbackgroundchecks.com/. (Remember that you can leave your city and state and your age blank.) If your information shows up, remove your data here: https://www.advancedbackgroundchecks.com/removal
To find your information, you must sign up for a free trial here:
https://www.archives.com/search/ancestor/checkout (and then cancel)
Opt out here: http://www.archives.com/Optout
Find your information and opt out here: https://www.backgroundalert.com/optout/.
Find your information and opt out here: https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/search. Opt out of property search here: https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/address-search. BeenVerified also owns PeopleLooker and PeopleSmart. Be aware that BeenVerified only allows one opt-out per email address, so you may need to reach out via email for additional opt-outs. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Look for your contact info here: https://checkpeople.com/do-not-sell-info. If it shows up, select "remove record". You will need to fill out your name and email, and solve a captcha. You will receive an email which will require you to confirm your opt-out request.
Cancel your free or paid membership following the instructions here: https://help.classmates.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002224171-How-can-I-cancel-my-membership-.
Find your information here: https://clustrmaps.com/. To remove it, go here: https://clustrmaps.com/bl/opt-out. It will ask you for a mailing address, but doesn’t seem to verify it. It will then ask you to check off anything associated with your account that you want removed.
Look for your information here: https://cocofinder.com/search. Opt out here: https://cocofinder.com/remove-my-info. It will send you to this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEgLH9ro7oQR4c0V9E19ug1Gb7wVMrFFSj0Sgx4sjba_ET4Q/viewform.
Find your information here: https://dataveria.com/. Opt out by entering the specific profile URL you find here: https://dataveria.com/ng/control/privacy. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Facecheck.id is reverse image search software that uses an uploaded image to locate your face across in photos and videos on major social media platforms. If this type of search is something you are concerned about, you can remove your face from its search engine by searching for your image, uploading a driver’s license or ID card (you can hide your name, address and ID number) or a selfie with your face and two fingers touching your chin. Note that this will not remove your image from the various websites on which it was found, but simply will not allow people to search for it on the Facecheck site. Facecheck also states that it makes an exception for violent criminals.
Search for yourself and remove your information here:
https://www.familytreenow.com/optout
Look for and remove your information here: https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/removal. You may need to solve a captcha.
Search for your information at https://www.freepeopledirectory.com. If you find it, you can opt out on Spokeo at https://www.spokeo.com/optout. Make sure to scroll down to the grammatically incorrect “opt out your information” section.
Find your information here: https://gladiknow.com/. Follow these instructions to remove your data: https://gladiknow.com/opt-out. You can remove your information without downloading your free report, and email support@gladiknow.com for assistance.
Look for your home address here: https://homemetry.com/. If your name is listed alongside your address, click on the “information control” link. Opt out of applicable phone numbers and names. There's a limit per each opt out and each email you use to opt out. You will need to click the verification link they email you to finalize the opt out.
Find your information and out here: https://www.idtrue.com/optout/
Find your information here: https://www.infotracer.com/. You can opt out by filling out this form: https://www.infotracer.com/optout. You can also mail in this form: https://members.infotracer.com/tspec/shared/assets/data_opt_out_form.pdf or fax it to 1-617-933-9946.
Find your information here: https://www.intelius.com. Opt out by emailing support@mailer.intelius.com or call 1-888-245-1655. Another option is a form on https://suppression.peopleconnect.us/login. If you’re told that Intelius can't find your account, you may need to confirm your mailing address, phone number, old email addresses, or other information via email. (As always, make sure Intelius already has the information before providing it.) Intelius owns Addresses.com, Addresssearch.com, Anywho, Classmates, DateCheck, Instant Checkmate, InstantPeopleFinder, iSearch, LookUpAnyone, Peopleconnect.us, PeopleFinder, PeopleLookup, Phonesbook, Publicrecords, Spock, US Search, and Zabasearch.
Find your information and Record ID here: https://www.locatepeople.org/. Opt out here with your Record ID: https://www.locatepeople.org/optout/
Find your information here: https://www.mylife.com. Opt out using the following URL: https://www.mylife.com/ccpa/index.pubview. Although this is CCPA-focused, non-California folks have successfully removed their profiles. However, another option is to email your removal request to privacy@mylife.com with your name and a link to your profile. MyLife will try to get you to create an account with a copy of your driver’s license to submit a profile removal request, and we’ve received reports that emailing the info@mylife.com or removalrequests@mylife.com email addresses will require a phone call to (888) 704-1900. Previously, calling that number and pressing 2 allowed you to be removed from MyLife (and Wink.com) after providing your name, age, date of birth, email address, current mailing address, and a previous mailing address, but this no longer appears to be the case. (It also appears that you can sign up for a free membership to remove your reputation profile, though not your personal information such as your home address.)
Search for your name, address or phone number at https://neighbor.report/. To remove a report, go to https://neighbor.report/remove. You will need to verify the opt-out request via email.
Find your information here: https://nuwber.com/. Enter the URL of the profile page you found and your email address here: https://nuwber.com/removal/link. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email. Your profile will look like this "https://nuwber.com/person/563a151aa219445d5225ff38." Be careful not to accidentally click on a Truthfinder link (conveniently up top). You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Find your information here:https://www.peekyou.com/, opt out here: https://www.peekyou.com/about/contact/optout. You will need the letters at the end of your profile’s URL in the "unique ID" field. Make sure to check "remove my entire listing." You can also remove your information from the sites that it says it has aggregated information from.
Look up your name here: http://www.peoplebyname.com/people. Or, you can fill in your name in the URL like this: http://www.peoplebyname.com/people/[Last_Name]/[First_Name]. Opt out for each record here: http://www.peoplebyname.com/remove.php. This site, unfortunately, does not support HTTPS.
Find your information here: https://www.peoplefinders.com/ and opt out here:https://www.peoplefinders.com/opt-out (includes Advanced People Search and PublicRecordsNow). The opt-out link also includes information on finding your profile, after you hit next. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Find your information and opt out here: https://www.peoplesearchnow.com/opt-out.
PLook for your information here: https://www.peoplesearchsite.com. Opt out by clicking the link at the bottom of the profile you want to remove. You can also try emailing info@peoplesearchsite.com.
Search for your information here: https://persopo.com/search. Cut and paste the text of it (which is hard to do because of the 1990s site format, but is required by the site) and email it along with your opt-out request to support@persopo.com. You can also mail your request to Persopo.com, Attention: Opt Out Dept., 848 N. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 20, Las Vegas, NV 89107. (Opt-out instructions are posted here: http://info.persopo.com/opt-out.html—this site unfortunately does not use HTTPS).
PimEyes is an online face search engine that uses face recognition to perform a reverse image search, finding pictures of your face (or others like it) throughout the Internet. If you want to see if your photographs are in PimEyes’ database, consider uploading a photo to https://pimeyes.com/. (I used a very public photo that I know is already online, but you can also take a photo with your camera—which PimEyes claims it does not store.) To opt out, you’ll need to upload an image of your face on https://pimeyes.com/en/opt-out-request-form, and also attach a photo ID with all sensitive data (other than your name and photograph) blurred. The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is through Signal, the encrypted messaging app, which has a blur feature described in its blog. You can also use tools such as Photoshop or even make a copy of your ID and use a Sharpie. Finally, you’ll need to provide your email address.
Go to https://pipl.com to find your data. Opt out from Pipl at https://pipl.com/personal-information-removal-request. Then, remove your information from any sites it’s aggregated from. You can also email support at support@pipl.com.
Look for your info here: https://www.privateeye.com/ Opt out here: https://www.privateeye.com/static/view/optout/. You can also skip the first part and head to the second.
Search for your name and state and opt out here: https://www.privaterecords.net/optOut/name/landing.
Find your information here: https://www.publicdatausa.com/optout.php. Then, select the items you’d like removed, and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
Find your information here: https://www.publicrecordsnow.com/. Click on the orange “click here to opt out” button on https://www.publicrecordsnow.com/static/view/contact/, fill out the form, complete the captcha and send it in.
Find your information here: http://radaris.com. Click on "control information" and "remove information" by clicking on the X next to it or by removing specific listings. You can also privatize your account. You unfortunately need to register to remove information, and are limited to removing six items at a time. (I recommend removing items even if you privatize your account because these settings don’t always stick.) Details are here: http://radaris.com/page/how-to-remove. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Look up your home address here: https://rehold.com/. If there is a number or name next to it you’d like removed, click on the red “remove” button next to it. You will need to enter your name and email address and solve a captcha.
Unfortunately, you have to sign up with a credit card to search for your information at https://www.searchbug.com, though your first search is free. You can contact SearchBug using the contact form or chat link on this page https://www.searchbug.com/contact-us.aspx or via phone or text at (760) 652-4050 or via fax at (760) 454-7341 to to ask them to block the display of your personal information.
Find your information here: https://www.searchpeoplefree.com/, making sure to search by name, phone number, address and email address: Opt out here: https://www.searchpeoplefree.com/opt-out.
Find your information here: https://www.searchquarry.com/. If it’s listed, opt out here: https://members.searchquarry.com/removeMyData/ You will need to click the verification link in your inbox to finalize the opt out.
Find your information here: https://www.smartbackgroundchecks.com/. Opt out here: https://www.smartbackgroundchecks.com/optout
Find your information here: https://socialcatfish.com/. Record the URL of each page that has your information. Then, go to https://socialcatfish.com/opt-out/ and scroll down to the instructions for removing URLs, email, phone number, and address. (Make sure to only ask for information to be removed if you already see it on the site.) You’ll need to provide your email address and click on a confirmation link to complete the opt-out process.
Find your information here https://www.spokeo.com/search and remove your information by entering the URL of the profile you want removed and your email address here: https://www.spokeo.com/optout. Make sure to scroll down to the grammatically incorrect “opt out your information” section. You will need to confirm your opt-out request by clicking on a link sent to you via email.
Look for your data here:https://www.spyfly.com. Opt out here: https://www.spyfly.com/help-center/remove-my-public-record. You can also try emailing support@spyfly.com. You’ll need to provide your name, age, address, and email address. Make sure SpyFly has information you'd like removed before volunteering these things.
Find your information here: https://thatsthem.com/, if it shows up, try to opt out here: https://thatsthem.com/optout. Do not click on the Spokeo identity theft protection link, as it is a paid product.
Follow the removal instructions here: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/removal. You will need to enter your name, city and state, and email address, and then you’ll need to solve several captchas to see if you are listed, after which you can remove your information.
First, request your public data at https://www.truthfinder.com/suppression-center. Then, fill out a suppression request form. You can also send your removal request in the mail to TruthFinder, attn: OptOut, 2534 State St., Suite 473, San Diego, CA 92101. If you find your information after you have opted out, contact Truthfinder at (800) 699-8081 or help@truthfinder.com. You can also contact TruthFinder by filling out a web form at https://www.truthfinder.com/contact/. If you are working through this list, you may have already removed this data at Intelius’ suppression center site.
Search for your information here: https://www.unitedstatesphonebook.com/search.php. If your address is listed and you want it removed, enter the telephone number and zip code listed on the above site in this page https://www.unitedstatesphonebook.com/contact.php.
Look for your data here: https://unmask.com/. Opt out here: https://unmask.com/opt-out/.
Find and remove your information at https://www.usa-people-search.com/manage.
After finding your information, enter your name and URL at https://usa-official.com/remove.php.
First, you must request your public data. Then you can apply to have the information removed. The form for both is here: https://www.ussearch.com/suppression-center/. If you are working through this list, you may have already removed this data at Intelius’ suppression center site.
Look for your number and opt out here:https://www.usphonebook.com/opt-out/.
Find your information at https://verecor.com. To opt out, enter the profile URL (along with your name and email) at https://verecor.com/ng/control/privacy. You will need to fill out a captcha, and confirm the email link to finalize your request. If it doesn’t go through, you may need to email assist@verecor.com.
Find your information here: https://vericora.com/profile/search. Opt out here: https://vericora.com/ng/control/privacy.
Go to VoterRecords.com, find your information, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "record opt-out" link. This will lead to an opt-out form, which you’ll need to submit. You may receive a verification link you’ll need to click on to verify your opt-out request.
Find your information here: https://www.whitepages.com/, and then opt out here: https://www.whitepages.com/suppression_requests. You will need to provide a phone number and enter an opt-out code when you receive the phone call. Opt-out information is available here: https://support.whitepages.com/hc/en-us/articles/115010106908-How-do-I-edit-or-remove-a-personal-listing. You can also send a request here https://support.whitepages.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. (Including multiple options because these sites have a tendency to disappear.) Sometimes, information is removed from White Pages but not White Pages Premium, so make sure to double-check for your listing. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to opt out of White Pages Premium pages without an account. White Pages also owns 411.com, so check for your information there. The opt-out is the same. You may need to verify your opt-out by receiving an automated voice call and entering a four-digit code into your phone.
Check to see if your information is on ZoomInfo by filling out this form:https://www.zoominfo.com/update/remove. Opt out if it has an email on record—they will email you a code. ZoomInfo appears to have moved towards focusing primarily on business rather than individuals.
If you’re a victim of violent crime or identity theft, it’s often possible to opt out of information that others can’t opt out of. You may, however, need to provide court orders or other information. It may be worth checking more complete data broker lists which include those: https://www.privacyrights.org/data-brokers See this resource: https://nnedv.org/mdocs-posts/people-searches-data-brokers/.
If you are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, sexual abuse, or stalking, you may be able to keep your address private through state programs that provide a substitute address and mail forwarding. To see if a program exists in your state, look up “address confidentiality program” along with the name of your state in a search engine.
If you are a healthcare worker with a National Provider Index (NPI) number, your personal cell phone number or home address may be showing up on various online directories and websites because they were listed as primary contact information when you filled out your NPI profile (or when someone else filled it out on your behalf).
Look up your information here: https://opennpi.com/provider/. You can update or remove information by filling out this form: https://opennpi.com/contact. You’ll also need to reach out to any sites aggregating this data, like Doximity, where you may be able to edit or delete your profile.
(It also prevents credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name. You can receive a pin to unfreeze your credit, if needed. Note that you will need to do so in order to conduct business with entities requiring access to this information.)
To freeze your credit, you will need to provide personal information such as your name, address, date of birth, and social security number. While you can sometimes initiate this online, it’s better to do it by phone. Fees for freezing your credit vary by state.
To freeze your credit, contact:
- Equifax: 1 (800) 349-9960, https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
- Experian: 1 (888) 397‑3742, https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html.
- TransUnion: 1 (888) 909-8872, https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze/place-credit-freeze or https://service.transunion.com/dss/orderStep1_form.page
- Innovis: 1 (800) 540-2505, https://www.innovis.com/personal/securityFreeze or https://www.innovis.com/securityFreeze/index
- ChexSystems: 1 (800) 428-9623, https://www.chexsystems.com/security-freeze/place-freeze. This will prevent approval of accounts, loans, and services being approved in your name without your consent.
Contact your home and mobile phone companies to see if they offer privacy options, such as not listing your number on caller ID or allowing you to opt out of sales of phone numbers.
This list, compiled by Griffin Boyce, has a lot of information on doing so: https://github.com/glamrock/data-brokers/blob/master/data-brokers.md. It was last updated in 2019.
You can also opt out of targeted ads using cookies and similar technology at the browser level at https://optout.aboutads.info.
Follow the instructions at https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx
Brand Yourself, DeleteMe, DeleteMyInfo, EasyOptOuts, IDX Privacy, Kanary, OneRep, Optery, Privacy Pros, Reputation.com, Reputation Defender, and Spartacus all offer different opt-out services. Of these options, I have personally paid for and had good experiences with DeleteMe and Kanary. In general, note that removal services are not comprehensive, as some data brokers do not allow third parties to remove listings, and removal services do not include every data broker on this list, let alone outside of it.
There are services for media mail as well. For a fee, PaperKarma will remove your name from common direct mail vendors, including charity solicitations, direct mail and catalogs. You can also remove your name from Valpak coupon packs, for free. Sign up for a free account at https://www.catalogchoice.org/ to cancel catalogs you no longer wish to receive. For a fee, DMAChoice, will remove your name from prospective mailers, not including political mail or mail from companies you’ve done business with in the past two years. DMAChoice also maintains a Deceased Do Not Contact list to allow you to remove names of deceased individuals for marketing lists, which you can register for here. (I am sorry for your loss!)
Permission Slip by Consumer Reports is a free app that will file a data rights request on your behalf to tell companies to stop selling your personal information.
Doxing: Tips To Protect Yourself Online & How to Minimize Harm (EFF)
Here are the data brokers quietly buying and selling your personal information (Fast Company)
Personal Data Removal Workbook and Credit Freeze Guide (Michael Bazzell)
Preliminary results are in! CCPA testers provide important insights into the landmark privacy law (Medium/Consumer Reports)