How to Remove Your Personal Information From Data Brokers
Step-by-step guide to finding and opting out of the data brokers and people-search sites that sell your name, address, phone, and relatives.
By George Edos ·
General information, not legal advice. Novam Legal is not a law firm. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney.
Data brokers quietly compile your name, current and past addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and more, then sell or publish it on people-search sites. That profile is what fuels spam, scams, stalking, and doxxing. You can get most of it removed — it just takes a methodical process.
Step 1: Map where your data lives
Search your own name in quotes plus your city, and note every people-search result: Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, Intelius, MyLife, TruePeopleSearch, and dozens more. These are the sites you will target. Keep a simple spreadsheet of each site and the status of your removal request.
Step 2: Find each site’s opt-out page
Almost every broker has a legally required opt-out or “suppression” page, usually buried in the footer under Privacy, Do Not Sell My Info, or Opt Out. Search “[site name] opt out” to find it fast. You will typically paste the URL of your specific listing, then confirm.
Step 3: Submit each removal
Most opt-outs require you to locate your exact profile, submit it, and then confirm by email — some also send a confirmation code by text or phone call. Use a dedicated email address you don’t mind sharing. Avoid uploading a photo of your ID unless the site clearly requires it and you trust the source.
Step 4: Use your privacy rights
If you live in California, Colorado, Virginia, Texas, or a growing list of states, you have a legal right to demand deletion under a state privacy law. Residents of the EU/UK can invoke GDPR. Citing the specific statute in your request often speeds up compliance and gives you leverage if a broker stalls.
Step 5: Recheck and repeat
This is the part most people miss: brokers re-list you. They pull from the same public and purchased sources, so a profile you removed in January can reappear by summer. Re-search your name every 1–3 months and re-submit. Removal is not one-and-done — it is ongoing maintenance.
Why it’s worth it
A clean data footprint reduces phishing, SIM-swap and account-takeover risk, unwanted contact, and the raw material a harasser needs to doxx you. Even removing the top 10–15 highest-traffic brokers dramatically shrinks your exposure.
Doing this yourself is slow and the sites make it deliberately hard. Novam Legal can send the removal requests and takedown notices for you — and follow up until it’s gone. See plans and get started →