How to Remove Yourself From People Search Sites (2026)
Updated: September 2026 · 175+ platforms searched
A five-minute film about the trail in this guide — how one public detail hands over the next, and why the same chain that exposes you is the one that brings people home.
- Quick Answer: How to Remove Yourself From People Search Sites
- Step 1: Search Yourself Before You Opt Out
- Step 2: Opt Out of the Big Sites (2026 Table)
- California Residents: Use DROP Under the Delete Act
- Paid Removal Services: DeleteMe, Incogni, Optery
- Limits: What Opting Out Won't Do
- What to Do Next
Quick Answer: How to Remove Yourself From People Search Sites
You remove yourself from people search sites one site at a time: find your own listing, copy its URL, submit the site's free opt-out form, and confirm by email or phone. Each site handles only its own listing, and listings come back, so re-check every few months.
The short version for 2026:
- Search yourself first so you know which sites and which profiles to remove.
- Opt out of the largest sites using the table below. Every opt-out listed here is free and none requires an account.
- If you live in California, also file one request through the state's DROP platform, which reaches every registered data broker.
- Re-check every three to six months, or pay a removal service to do the repeat work.
Opting out hides your listing; it does not erase the public records behind it.
Step 1: Search Yourself Before You Opt Out
You cannot remove a listing you have not found, and most opt-out forms ask for the exact URL of your profile. Start by seeing yourself the way a stranger would.
- Social profiles: run your name, email addresses and usernames through the free Lullar search at the top of this page. It checks 175+ networks without signup and nobody is notified. Our guide to checking your own digital footprint walks through it.
- People-search reports: look yourself up on Spokeo, the people-search service we recommend (founded 2006, Pasadena, California, 12+ billion records). Searching your own name, phone and email shows which addresses, relatives and numbers are tied to you, and gives you the listing URL Spokeo's opt-out form needs.
- Each big site: search your name, with every city you have lived in, on Whitepages, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, PeopleFinders, FastPeopleSearch and TruePeopleSearch. Save every profile URL that is really you. Many people have two or three listings on the same site under name variations or old addresses.
Tip: use a separate email address for opt-out requests.
Run your own name through Spokeo, which draws on 12+ billion US records, to see the addresses, phone numbers and relatives a stranger could pull up.
Search on Spokeo →Step 2: Opt Out of the Big Sites (2026 Table)
These are the free, official opt-out routes as of September 2026. Opt-out pages move often; if a link fails, look for the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the site's footer, which leads to the same form.
| Site | Opt-out page | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Spokeo | Spokeo's opt-out page ("Do Not Sell My Info" link in the site footer) | Your listing URL and an email; click the confirmation link. Each listing needs its own request. |
| Whitepages | whitepages.com/suppression-requests | Your profile URL, a removal reason, and phone verification with a code. |
| BeenVerified | beenverified.com/app/optout/search | Search your name and state, select your record, enter an email, click the verification link. |
| TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, Intelius | suppression.peopleconnect.us | Email verification, then your name and date of birth; set each matching record to "Suppressed." One request covers the PeopleConnect family of sites. |
| PeopleFinders | peoplefinders.com/opt-out | Name and email, verification link (expires after 24 hours), then select your record. |
| FastPeopleSearch | fastpeoplesearch.com/removal | Name, email, CAPTCHA, select your listing, confirm by email. |
| TruePeopleSearch | truepeoplesearch.com/removal | Request an emailed link, then fill the form with details matching your record. Separate from FastPeopleSearch. |
| MyLife | mylife.com/privacyrequest | Profile URL, name, email and an emailed code; email privacy@mylife.com if the form fails. |
Most requests take effect within a few days; MyLife says about 14 business days. PeopleConnect does not accept requests submitted by removal services on your behalf, so do that one yourself. Radaris, long a standard entry on lists like this, now shows a court seizure notice: in August 2026 a New Jersey court entered a default judgment under Daniel's Law transferring the radaris.com domain, so there is no listing there to remove for now.
Don't just read — try a search now
California Residents: Use DROP Under the Delete Act
If you live in California, one free request through DROP (the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform) tells every registered data broker, over 600 of them, to delete your personal information and stop selling it. It is run by the state privacy agency, CalPrivacy (formerly the California Privacy Protection Agency), and it is available only to California residents.
- Where: consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov (overview at privacy.ca.gov/drop). Residency is verified through the California Identity Gateway or Login.gov.
- Dates: DROP opened to residents on January 1, 2026. Under the Delete Act, brokers had to begin processing requests on August 1, 2026, and must check DROP at least once every 45 days after that. The state expects every broker to finish its first cycle by November 2026.
- Timing: status updates can take up to 90 days and vary by broker.
- Limits: DROP reaches only registered brokers, and information exempt under California privacy law, including publicly available information such as court and property records, can be kept. Your DROP status page marks those as exempted.
Paid Removal Services: DeleteMe, Incogni, Optery
Removal services submit opt-outs for you and re-submit them when listings come back. They save time, not access: you can file every request yourself for free. Published pricing in September 2026:
- DeleteMe: about $129 a year for one person, billed annually, with quarterly privacy reports. No free plan.
- Incogni: about $7.99 a month billed annually ($95.88 a year) for its standard plan covering 420+ data brokers, or about $15.98 month to month.
- Optery: a free basic plan that scans and shows where you appear, with self-service removal links; paid automated removals start around $3.99 a month.
Prices change with promotions, so confirm at checkout. Whichever you choose, handle the PeopleConnect suppression yourself, since it does not honor requests filed by agents.
Limits: What Opting Out Won't Do
Opting out is worth doing, but it has three hard limits:
- Listings come back. Sites rebuild profiles as new public records and commercial data arrive, especially after you move, buy a home or register to vote. A new profile does not inherit your old opt-out. Re-check every three to six months.
- Public records stay public. Court cases, property deeds and voter files are kept by government offices, and no opt-out or DROP request erases them. You only stop sites from republishing them in a convenient report.
- Hundreds of smaller sites exist. That long tail is where removal services and DROP help most.
What to Do Next
- Search yourself today with Lullar and on Spokeo, and list every profile URL.
- Work through the table, keeping screenshots of each confirmation.
- If you are in California, file a DROP request.
- Set a calendar reminder for three months out and search yourself again.
If you want to know more about the services themselves, see our reviews of Spokeo and TruthFinder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to remove yourself from people search sites?
Yes. Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, PeopleConnect (TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, Intelius), PeopleFinders, FastPeopleSearch, TruePeopleSearch and MyLife all offer free opt-outs, and none requires an account. California's DROP platform is also free. Paid services such as DeleteMe, Incogni and Optery charge only for doing the work and repeating it.
How long does it take to get removed from Spokeo?
Spokeo opt-outs are usually processed within a few days of clicking the confirmation link in the email Spokeo sends. You need the URL of your listing, and each separate listing needs its own request.
Does one opt-out remove me from TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate and Intelius?
Yes. All three are owned by PeopleConnect, and suppressing your record once at the PeopleConnect Suppression Center applies across its family of people-search sites. If you have more than one record, suppress each one.
What is California's DROP and when does it take effect?
DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, lets California residents send one deletion request to every registered data broker. It opened to residents on January 1, 2026, and brokers had to start processing requests on August 1, 2026, then check for new requests at least every 45 days. Public-record information can be exempt.
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