The Complete Guide to Removing Your Personal Info from the Internet (2025 Edition)
- Marisa Johnson
- Oct 12, 2025
- 5 min read
Summary: This guide shows you how people-search sites and data brokers get your information, how to remove it fast, and how to keep it from reappearing. Inside: a 7-day removal plan, copy-paste request templates, and a maintenance checklist. If you want us to run point, book a Free Security Audit.
Why your information keeps showing up
People-search sites (e.g., Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified) and marketing data brokers aggregate from:
Public records (property deeds, voter rolls, court dockets)
Commercial sources (loyalty cards, credit header data, catalog buyers)
“Exhaust” from apps and websites (pixels, analytics, data partners)
They refresh constantly. That’s why one-and-done removals don’t stick unless you set up monitoring and re-exposure defenses.
Threat model (pick the risks that apply to you)
Harassment & doxxing: Address/phone exposed alongside your name or social handles.
Stalking & domestic violence: Real-time location trails (workplace, gym schedules).
Social engineering: Attackers use relatives/associates lists to phish convincingly.
Employment/reputation harms: Out-of-date or wrong info tied to your name.
Financial identity risk: Combining breached data with public OSINT to bypass KBA.
If any risk is urgent (threats, stalking, swatting talk): prioritize containment, evidence, and platform/host takedowns first. Then do the broker removals.
The 7-Day Lockdown Plan
This is the exact cadence we use for quick wins + long-term stability.
Day 1 — Fast wins (60–90 minutes)
Prep an alias kit
Alias email (Proton/Fastmail/Apple Hide My Email).
Secondary phone/VoIP for verification.
Scan the obvious brokers
Search your name + city/state and name + phone.
Open tabs for Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, Instant Checkmate, Intelius, PeopleLooker, Radaris, TruthFinder, FastPeopleSearch, USSearch, MyLife.
Submit removals
Each site = unique opt-out flow. Start with the ones showing address + relatives (highest harm).
Log everything
Create a simple tracker (Date, Site, URL submitted, Status, Ticket/Case, Recheck date).
Day 2 — Social & search hygiene
Lock down social profiles (private where possible; strip address/phone from bios).
Google footprint: Remove contact info from “About” pages, personal sites, pastebins, Github READMEs, WHOIS.
Search variations: Your legal name, former names, nicknames, maiden name, and common misspellings.
Day 3 — Public records & maps
Maps/Street View: Request blurs where supported; remove home pins from personal pages.
Domain WHOIS: Turn on privacy at your registrar.
Forwarding address: Consider a P.O. Box/CMRA for mail.
Day 4 — Hardening
Password manager + enable passkeys/2FA on email, cloud, social, bank.
Rotate any passwords reused after 2020 breaches (assume they’re public).
Turn off people-finder “discoverability” features on major platforms.
Day 5 — The second sweep
Check removal confirmations. Re-submit any that failed (wrong URL or verification issue).
Add marketing brokers (Acxiom/Epsilon/Oracle/BlueKai) “Do Not Sell/Share” requests.
Day 6 — Long-tail cleanup
Smaller people-search sites and “mirror” aggregators.
Forum posts/paste sites: send privacy/harassment reports (use template below).
Day 7 — Set & forget (maintenance)
Put recurring reminders on 30, 90, and 180 days to rescan.
Keep your tracker; re-verify problem brokers quarterly.
Exact steps: removing yourself from people-search sites
Use this repeatable flow for each broker.
Find the direct profile URLSearch your name + city/state on the broker. Open the exact profile page (not search results). Copy the URL.
Go to the official opt-out/suppression pageMost brokers have a “suppression” or “opt-out” form. Avoid third-party services unless you trust them.
Provide only what’s requiredIf phone verification is required, use your secondary number. Prefer alias emails for confirmations.
Confirm removal and calendar a recheckMany process within hours to a few days. Put a date on your tracker to recheck the URL for 404/removed state.
If it reappearsResubmit with the new URL and note “previous removal confirmed on <date>.”
Tip: Some brokers show two versions (free and “premium”). You must suppress both URLs.
Copy-paste templates (use anywhere)
Broker opt-out (email/web form short answer)
I’m requesting removal of my personal information from your people-search results.
Profile URL(s): <paste URL(s)>
Information exposed: <address / phone / relatives>
This disclosure creates privacy and safety risks. Please remove/suppress my listing(s) and confirm by email. I consent to using the information provided here solely to process this request.
Thank you,
<Your name or alias>
Platform/host removal (for doxxing or PII exposure)
Subject: Removal request – non-consensual personal information
Hello, the URL below exposes my personal data (address/phone) without consent.
URL: <link>
Harm: Enables harassment/stalking and real-world risk.
Please remove the content and any exact mirrors per your policies. I can verify identity privately if required.
Thank you.
“Do Not Sell/Share” (marketing data broker)
Please process my request to opt out of the sale or sharing of my personal information and delete any data associated with me to the extent required by applicable law. I’m located in the U.S.
Identifiers: <full name, city/state, email used with your services>
Preferred contact: <alias email>
I request a confirmation of completion.
Your removal tracker (columns to copy into a sheet)
Site
Profile URL
Date submitted
Method (form/email/phone verify)
Ticket/Case #
Status (Pending/Removed/Failed)
Recheck date
Notes (duplicate profile? reappeared?)
Common mistakes (and easy fixes)
Submitting search URLs instead of profile URLs → always click through to the person page first.
Using your primary email/phone → creates more data spread; use aliases.
Not logging tickets → you’ll want history when entries reappear.
Stopping after big brokers → long-tail sites and mirrors will index the same week.
Re-exposure prevention (make it sticky)
Alias everything: email for shopping/newsletters; a second number for forms.
WHOIS privacy on domains you own.
Remove address from personal sites; use a P.O. Box or virtual mailbox.
Browser hygiene: block third-party cookies; review extensions; limit “social logins.”
Quarterly scan with a saved query of your name + city + phone + past cities.
If you’re dealing with active harassment
Don’t reply to the harasser.
Capture evidence (URL in frame, timestamps).
Report to platform/host (use the template).
File a non-emergency police report if threats exist; keep the case number.
Begin the broker sweep to remove address/phone exposure that fuels escalation.
FAQ
How long do removals take?
Anywhere from hours to a few days. Calendar a recheck; resubmit if needed.
Will this keep me off the internet forever?
No. Public records and marketing feeds refresh. The win condition is low, stale, and hard to find—maintained by periodic sweeps.
Do I need to pay for removal services?
Most top brokers can be removed manually. Paid help saves time and handles monitoring/escalation.
What if a site refuses?
Escalate to its host (abuse/acceptable-use team) with evidence. If copyrighted content of yours is posted, a DMCA can work even when policy teams are slow.
Is it legal to remove records?
Yes, you’re asking private publishers and data brokers to stop publishing/indexing your data or to honor your opt-out rights where applicable.
Get a Free Security Audit
Short on time? We’ll identify your highest-risk exposures, submit removals, and set up monitoring.
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