How to Remove Your Personal Info from the Internet (2026)

There are roughly 4,000 companies in the United States whose business model is collecting your personal information and selling it to anyone who pays. They know your name, your address history, your relatives, your estimated income, your phone numbers, and in some cases your political affiliation, purchasing habits, and health inferences. Most people have never heard of them.

This guide covers how to actually remove your personal information from the internet — starting with the people-search sites most consumers can see, moving through the enterprise data brokers that most guides skip entirely, and ending with what the law gives you and what it doesn't. Everything here has been verified against current opt-out processes as of 2026.

How Data Brokers Collect and Sell Your Data

The data broker industry generated an estimated $278 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to reach $512 billion by 2033. That money comes from selling information about you — typically without your knowledge or consent.

The typical data broker profile contains over 1,500 data points per person. Acxiom alone maintains data on 500 million people globally, with up to 3,000 data sets per individual across its 23,000 servers. Experian's consumer database covers over 300 million people. Epsilon profiles approximately 250 million. None of these companies have a direct relationship with you.

Where Your Data Comes From

Data brokers pull from multiple overlapping sources:

• Public records. Property deeds, voter registration, court records, marriage licenses, business filings, and DMV records (in states that allow it) are all public and scraped continuously. When you buy a house, your name, address, and purchase price become a public record within days.
• Social media. Anything you've set to public — your name, location, employer, interests, connections — is fair game for collection. Even posts you've since deleted may have been archived before removal.
• Retail transaction data. Retailers frequently sell anonymized (and sometimes not so anonymized) customer purchase histories. Your grocery store loyalty card, your e-commerce order history, and your pharmacy purchases all flow into marketing databases.
• Credit header data. Name, address, and employer information from credit applications — not the credit score itself, but the identifying data — is legally shareable under certain conditions.
• Data broker trading. Brokers buy and sell data from each other. Your information appears in one database, gets purchased by five others, enhanced with additional data points, and sold to ten more. A single data point can proliferate across dozens of companies in months.
• AI inference. Modern data brokers increasingly generate new data points rather than just collecting existing ones. Purchase patterns can infer health conditions. Browsing behavior can infer political affiliation. Location data can infer workplace and religious practice. Publicis CoreAI claims to profile 2.3 billion people through inference alone.

Part 1: People-Search Sites (Easy Opt-Outs)

People-search sites are the most visible layer of the data broker ecosystem — the ones that come up when someone Googles your name. They aggregate information from public records and resell it through searchable directories. All of the following offer free opt-out processes.

Spokeo

• Opt-out URL: spokeo.com/optout
• Process: Search your name on Spokeo, open your listing, copy the profile URL. Go to the opt-out page, paste the URL, enter your email, complete CAPTCHA. Verify via email link — this step is required or the removal won't process.
• Timeline: 24–72 hours after email verification
• Notes: Each profile URL requires a separate opt-out request. If you have multiple addresses in your history, you may have multiple listings. Email privacy@spokeo.com if you're having trouble with specific listings.

Whitepages

• Opt-out URL: whitepages.com/suppression-requests
• Process: Search your name, open your profile, copy the URL. Submit it through the suppression request form. Whitepages requires phone verification (unlike most other sites) — you'll receive an automated call with a code.
• Timeline: 1–7 days
• Notes: Whitepages owns several related sites (Hiya, Nextdoor partner data). Suppression on Whitepages.com doesn't automatically propagate to their affiliated properties.

BeenVerified

• Opt-out URL: beenverified.com/app/optout/search
• Process: Search your name and state, find your record, click "Proceed to Opt Out." Submit your email and verify via the email link that follows.
• Timeline: 24–72 hours
• Notes: If you have multiple profiles (common if you've moved), the opt-out form only removes one at a time. Email support@beenverified.com with your full name, DOB, addresses, and profile URLs to request bulk removal.

MyLife

• Opt-out URL: mylife.com/ccpa/index.pubview
• Process: Find your profile on MyLife.com, copy your profile URL, go to the opt-out page, submit your information including the profile URL, and verify via email. Alternatively, call 1-888-704-1900 or email privacy@mylife.com.
• Timeline: 7–15 business days (longer than most competitors)
• Notes: MyLife is particularly aggressive about re-listing — plan to check back monthly for the first few months after removal.

Radaris

• Opt-out URL: radaris.com/control/privacy
• Process: Find your profile, copy the URL, go to the opt-out page, paste URL, enter your email, complete CAPTCHA, verify via email. Alternatively, email removals@radaris.com with your full name and profile URL.
• Timeline: 7–14 days
• Notes: Radaris aggregates from many sub-sources and can be slow to propagate removals. Some users report needing to submit twice.

TruePeopleSearch

• Opt-out URL: truepeoplesearch.com/removal
• Process: Submit your name and email at the removal page, verify via email link, complete the opt-out form that follows.
• Timeline: 24–72 hours
• Notes: One of the faster removals in this category. Email support@truepeoplesearch.com if the email verification doesn't arrive.

PeopleFinder / Intelius

• Opt-out URL: peoplefinder.com/optout.php and intelius.com/opt-out
• Process: Search your name, locate your record, submit the opt-out form with your name, address, and email. Both sites are operated by PeopleConnect — a removal on one does not automatically apply to the other.
• Timeline: 3–7 days

Part 2: Enterprise Data Brokers (Harder, But Important)

This is where most opt-out guides stop. But the people-search sites above are largely built on data purchased from the enterprise data brokers below. Removing yourself from the source reduces how quickly you reappear on the consumer-facing sites.

Enterprise brokers primarily serve insurance companies, financial institutions, employers, marketers, and government agencies. Their opt-out processes are designed for compliance, not convenience — expect more friction and longer timelines.

Acxiom

Acxiom is one of the largest data brokers in the world, with approximately 260 million US consumer profiles. Its subsidiary LiveRamp powers much of digital advertising's data infrastructure.

• Opt-out URL: isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx
• LiveRamp opt-out: liveramp.com/opt_out (submit separately)
• Process: Provide your name, postal address, email, and phone number. Confirm opt-out via email link.
• Timeline: 7–14 days
• Notes: Acxiom and LiveRamp are separate opt-out processes despite being the same company. Submit both. Data can resurface every 3–6 months as Acxiom ingests new public records — repeat annually at minimum.

LexisNexis

LexisNexis provides data to employers, landlords, insurers, law enforcement, and attorneys. It's also heavily integrated into background check services. Their opt-out process requires identity verification — more friction than most.

• Opt-out URL: optout.lexisnexis.com
• Consumer disclosure: consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com
• Process: Submit an information suppression request. LexisNexis requires government-issued ID for verification — expect to upload a copy of your driver's license or passport.
• Timeline: 10–30 days
• Notes: LexisNexis has several products (Accurint, CLEAR, insurance data services) that may require separate requests. California residents can also submit via the DROP portal. Data for legal and compliance purposes may not be removable under certain statutory exemptions.

CoreLogic

CoreLogic specializes in property and real estate data — mortgage information, property valuations, home purchase history, and flood risk data. It covers 134+ million property addresses in the US.

• Contact: Email privacy@corelogic.com with your opt-out request
• Process: No self-serve web portal. Submit your request by email or postal mail. Include your full name, current address, and a statement of your removal request. California residents have additional CCPA rights and can use the DROP portal.
• Timeline: 7–30 days
• Notes: Property records are inherently public data. CoreLogic can suppress your data in their products but cannot erase the underlying public records. If you recently bought or sold property, expect new data to appear quickly.

Oracle Data Cloud (BlueKai / Datalogix)

Oracle's Data Cloud is the advertising data infrastructure behind much of programmatic digital advertising. It doesn't maintain consumer profiles in the same way as people-search sites — it maintains behavioral segments used for ad targeting.

• Opt-out URL: datacloudoptout.oracle.com
• Process: The opt-out is browser-specific and cookie-based. Complete the process in every browser you use, on every device.
• Timeline: Up to 45 days
• Notes: Oracle's opt-out does not recall data already sold to advertisers. It prevents future targeting only. Clearing cookies also clears your opt-out preference — you'll need to re-submit after clearing browser data. This one requires annual maintenance.

Epsilon

Epsilon is one of the largest marketing data companies in the world, with approximately 250 million consumer profiles. It provides data to retailers, financial services companies, and direct marketers.

• Data deletion portal: legal.epsilon.com/dsr
• Advertising opt-out: legal.epsilon.com/optout
• Process: Submit a data subject request (deletion) via the DSR portal. Separately opt out of personalized advertising through the advertising opt-out link. Both require email verification.
• Timeline: Several weeks to months for full deletion
• Notes: Epsilon's data is sourced from retail partnerships and catalog companies. Repeat opt-out every 3–6 months. California and GDPR residents have stronger enforcement rights.

Experian (Marketing Services)

Note: This refers to Experian's marketing and data brokerage division, not your credit report. Your credit file is a separate matter governed by the FCRA.

• Opt-out URL: consumerprivacy.experian.com
• Pre-screened offers: optoutprescreen.com (for credit and insurance offers)
• Email opt-out: optout@experian.com
• Process: Use the consumer privacy portal to opt out of marketing data sharing. Submit separately to optoutprescreen.com to stop pre-screened credit and insurance offers.
• Timeline: Some opt-outs last 5 years (optoutprescreen.com offers a permanent option via mail)
• Notes: Experian operates multiple data products. You may need to opt out separately for different Experian services. For your credit report specifically, request your free annual report at AnnualCreditReport.com and place a freeze via Experian's consumer portal if needed.

Why Your Data Keeps Coming Back

This is the part most guides underexplain. You submit opt-out requests, you get confirmation emails, you check back and your listing is gone — and then three months later it's back. This is not a bug. It's how these businesses work.

Data brokers continuously re-ingest from their source databases. County property records update when property changes hands. Voter rolls update when people re-register. Marketing lists update when people fill out forms, enter sweepstakes, or buy things online. The broker's database is a live feed, not a static archive.

When that live feed updates with your information, your opt-out suppression may not catch it — especially if the new data point differs slightly from the one you opted out of (a new address, a slightly different name format, a new phone number).

Additionally, data brokers share data with each other. When you opt out of Company A, Company B still has your data. If Company A later purchases an updated dataset from Company B, your information can re-enter Company A's system through that purchase.

What actually helps:

• Use an email alias service (SimpleLogin, Apple Hide My Email) so marketing lists can't cross-reference your email across databases
• Get a P.O. box for package deliveries to reduce address proliferation
• Opt out of voter registration data sharing in states where it's permitted
• Set a quarterly calendar reminder to re-check and re-submit opt-outs for the highest-priority sites
• Use a data removal service if you want automated re-scanning and re-removal

Your Legal Rights by Jurisdiction

California — The Strongest US Protections

California residents have the most robust legal options in the US. Three layers of law apply:

CCPA / CPRA: The California Consumer Privacy Act (2018), strengthened by the California Privacy Rights Act (2023), gives California residents the right to know what data a business holds about you, the right to delete that data, and the right to opt out of its sale. Data brokers meeting California's definition are legally required to honor these requests within 45 days.

The Delete Act (SB 362) and DROP: California's 2023 Delete Act created the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP), operated by the California Privacy Protection Agency. As of January 2026, California residents can submit a single deletion request through DROP that reaches every registered data broker simultaneously. Starting August 1, 2026, registered brokers must process DROP requests within 45 days or face fines of $200 per day per violation.

The DROP portal is at privacy.ca.gov. If you're a California resident, this is the single highest-leverage action available to you — one request reaches 500+ registered brokers.

Enforcement: The CPPA has pursued enforcement actions and issued significant fines. In 2025, Tractor Supply Company paid a $1.35 million CCPA fine. Non-compliant data brokers face registration penalties of $200 per day.

Other US States

As of 2026, several states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws with data deletion rights:

• Texas: Data Broker List Act requires registration and opt-out mechanisms, similar to California's framework but without a unified portal
• Vermont: Data broker registration required since 2018; opt-out rights exist but no DROP-equivalent portal
• Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Kentucky: Comprehensive privacy laws with deletion rights — scope and enforcement varies
• Oregon, Montana: Broader consumer privacy laws with location data provisions

If your state doesn't have a privacy law: you still have the right to request deletion from any company — they're just not legally obligated to honor it. Most legitimate data brokers process requests regardless of state because the operational cost of state-specific compliance is higher than just processing everyone's requests.

Federal (US)

No comprehensive federal data broker opt-out right exists as of mid-2026. The American Privacy Rights Act has passed committee but has not received a full Congressional vote. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers credit-specific uses of your data — you have the right to dispute inaccurate credit data and to place a credit freeze. The FCRA does not extend to marketing data brokers.

European Union (GDPR)

If you're an EU resident, GDPR Article 17 gives you the right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — companies must delete your data within 30 days of a verified request. GDPR applies to any company processing EU residents' data, regardless of where the company is located. Enforcement in the EU is substantially more aggressive than in the US, with fines up to 4% of global annual revenue.

DIY Removal vs. Paid Services: Honest Comparison

The core tradeoff is time vs. money. Neither approach is objectively better — it depends on your situation.

When DIY makes sense: If you're willing to invest the initial time, don't mind quarterly maintenance, and want to also cover enterprise brokers that most services skip, DIY is more complete than any paid service. The opt-out processes described in this guide are free and effective.

When paid services make sense: If you want ongoing automated monitoring without the quarterly maintenance burden — or if your initial removal revealed significant exposure across dozens of sites — a paid service handles re-listing automatically. The major services (Incogni, DeleteMe, Optery) are reviewed separately on this site. None of them cover every broker or guarantee permanent removal, but they meaningfully reduce the maintenance burden.

One practical approach: do the initial DIY removal for the most important sites, then decide whether the time savings of a paid service justify the subscription cost based on how quickly your data reappears.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to remove your info from data brokers?

For people-search sites, expect 24–72 hours for most removals after you complete email verification. Some slower sites like MyLife and LexisNexis take 7–30 days. Enterprise data brokers like Epsilon can take weeks to months for full deletion. The full process — submitting to all major sites — spans several days because of email verification steps, but the actual time you spend is 3–5 hours total.

Can you permanently delete yourself from the internet?

No — and any service claiming otherwise is overstating what's possible. Public records are legally public, and they're continuously being generated (property transactions, court filings, voter registration updates). Data brokers re-ingest from these sources on ongoing schedules. You can substantially reduce your online presence and make it significantly harder to find your personal information, but "permanently" isn't an accurate description of what opt-outs accomplish. The goal is ongoing management, not a one-time fix.

Are data removal services worth it?

For many people, yes — specifically for the automation of re-removal when data reappears. The per-year cost ($90–$130) is comparable to what a single hour of professional services costs, and the services handle dozens of sites continuously. The value depends on how often your data reappears after removal and how much you value not doing that maintenance yourself. They don't cover everything, and they can't remove public records — but for people-search site maintenance, the automation is genuinely useful.

What personal information is impossible to remove?

Public records cannot be erased — property deeds, court judgments, divorce records, and voter registration are legally public and will remain so. News articles about you are generally protected as journalism and not subject to removal requests. Government databases operate under their own legal frameworks. Social media content you've created on platforms you still use cannot be removed by a data broker opt-out — you'd need to delete it directly. Information that appears in academic publications, professional directories you joined voluntarily, and most "passive" content created by your own online activity falls outside what removal services can address.

Does removing your data from one broker remove it from all of them?

No. Each data broker is a separate company with its own database. Removing yourself from Spokeo doesn't touch Whitepages, Radaris, Acxiom, or any other broker. California's DROP program (for California residents) is the closest thing to a unified removal — it routes a single request to every registered California data broker simultaneously. Outside of DROP, every broker requires its own opt-out request.

Can employers and landlords still find my information after I opt out?

Background check companies (Checkr, Sterling, HireRight) operate under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and are separate from the data brokers covered here. FCRA-governed background checks can access information from credit bureaus, court records, and other regulated sources that are not subject to opt-out requests. Opting out of people-search sites will reduce casual exposure but will not affect formal FCRA-governed background checks that employers and landlords typically use.

Is it legal for data brokers to sell my personal information?

In most US states, yes — largely because no comprehensive federal privacy law governs data brokers. The industry operates in a legal space where your personal information, once collected from public records or provided to a company, can generally be shared and sold. California's CCPA/CPRA and the Delete Act create enforceable restrictions for California residents. The EU's GDPR creates significant restrictions for EU residents. For everyone else in the US, the protections are limited, and lobbying by the data broker industry has successfully prevented federal legislation from passing as of mid-2026.

What to Do Right Now

The most effective approach is layered:

1. If you're in California: Submit a DROP request at privacy.ca.gov immediately. It covers more brokers with less effort than any other single action.
2. Opt out of the major people-search sites: Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, TruePeopleSearch, and MyLife together account for the majority of people-search traffic. Complete those first.
3. Submit to enterprise brokers: Acxiom and Epsilon are the most important — they're upstream sources that feed data to many consumer-facing sites. LexisNexis matters if you're concerned about background checks. CoreLogic matters if you own property.
4. Set a calendar reminder: Three months from now, recheck your top 5 priority sites. Resubmit where you've been re-listed. This is a maintenance task, not a one-time project.
5. Consider a paid service: If the quarterly maintenance feels like too much overhead, services like Incogni automate the re-removal process. They're not comprehensive, but they handle the most common re-listing scenarios automatically.

None of this eliminates your digital footprint entirely. But systematically working through it reduces your exposure in the places that matter — the sites people actually search when they're looking for your information.