How to Opt Out of Data Brokers and People-Search Sites

Type your name into a search engine and you may find a site offering your age, home address, phone number and the names of your relatives. Those sites are called people-search sites, and they are one kind of data broker. Their reports are useful to scammers and stalkers, and they make identity thieves' work easier.

This guide explains how these sites work, how to ask them to stop selling your information, what you can realistically expect, and how to do it without handing over more data than necessary. It follows the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance on people-search sites.

What Data Brokers and People-Search Sites Do

The FTC explains that companies known as data brokers collect information about us and sell or share it with others. People-search sites are a type of data broker. They may buy data from other brokers, collect details from public social media profiles, and compile information from federal, state and local government public records.

The FTC lists public records that may feed these reports, including property records, driving records, voter registration information, criminal and civil records, birth, marriage, divorce and death records, and professional licenses. With just one piece of information, such as a name or phone number, a buyer could get a report with your age and date of birth, other names you have used, current and previous addresses, properties, marital status, education and employment, and the names and addresses of family members.

People buy these reports for many reasons, some harmless. But for people such as survivors of domestic violence or stalking, having a home address and relatives' names available is a serious safety risk.

Why It Matters for Account Security

The same details are used against you in other ways. Security questions often ask about previous addresses and relatives. Scammers use real personal facts to sound convincing on the phone. A thief who knows your date of birth and address is better placed to pass identity checks. Reducing what is for sale will not stop every attack, but it removes some easy ammunition. If a data breach exposed the same details, see what to do after a data breach.

What Opting Out Can and Cannot Do

The FTC says most people-search sites have a way to tell them to stop selling your information, known as opting out. Some limits to keep in mind:

• Sites will let you opt out of sharing certain details, like your address or phone number, but not everything. The FTC gives the example that sex offender status cannot be removed.
• After you opt out, the site stops selling your existing information.
• Your information may still appear in reports about your relatives, neighbors or associates.
• If the information in your public records changes, it could reappear for sale.
• Opting out does not delete your information from public records, so someone could still find records on a government website.
• The process may require some identity verification.

In other words, opting out reduces exposure but is not a permanent vanishing act. Plan on checking again from time to time.

Option 1: Opt Out Yourself, One Site at a Time

The FTC describes the do-it-yourself process as free but time-consuming, since there are many people-search sites:

1. List the sites to check. If you don't know any by name, start with your own search results. The FTC points to lists from the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Minnesota House of Representatives as places to find people-search sites.
2. Search for yourself. Use your phone number or address first, as the FTC suggests, and then your name. Include old addresses and variations of your name.
3. Find the listing and look for the opt-out link. If you find a report about you, look for a link about opting out or removing information, and follow the steps. If you can't find one, search the site's name plus "opt out" or "remove my information."
4. Submit the request with care. Use the official site and follow its instructions. Give only what is required for verification.
5. Repeat on other sites. Keep a simple record of which sites you've handled and when.
6. Check again periodically. The FTC advises re-checking and submitting a new opt-out request if your information shows up again.

Protect Yourself While You Do It

Exposed details can fuel SIM swap attacks, so lock down your mobile account.

• Use a separate email address or alias for opt-out requests, since many sites send confirmation links. It keeps your main inbox out of the picture and makes it easier to spot follow-up spam.
• Do not send a copy of ID documents unless the site's official instructions really require it, and black out anything not needed, such as ID numbers.
• Stay on the real site. Fake "removal" pages exist. Be cautious about results reached through ads, and be wary of anything that asks for payment or sensitive data to remove a listing you can normally remove free of charge.
• Note confirmation emails. Some removals only finish after you click a link, and some expire.

Option 2: Use an Opt-Out Service

The FTC says paid services will take the steps to opt you out for you. It recommends finding out, before you sign up:

• how many websites the service covers;
• whether it will give you a report about the sites it has opted you out of;
• how often it will scan those sites and delete information that has reappeared or turned up since.

Add a few questions of your own: what personal information the service needs from you, how it stores it, what it costs each year and how to cancel. A service is a convenience, not a guarantee, and it is worth remembering that you are handing identity details to a company in order to remove them elsewhere. Read its privacy policy, and only use one from a company you have researched.

Reduce What Gets Collected in the First Place

1. Tighten social media privacy. The FTC notes that people-search sites may collect from public profiles. Limit who can see your location, workplace, family members and birthdate. The FDIC also warns that sharing birthdates, pet names, family names, locations and employment can give criminals hints to guess passwords.
2. Use unique passwords and two-factor authentication, so that personal information alone doesn't unlock accounts.
3. Be thoughtful with sign-up forms, contests and surveys. Share only what is needed.
4. Use a mail forwarding address or alias for non-essential sign-ups, if your email provider supports it.
5. Consider a credit freeze to block new accounts, since leaked details can be used to apply for credit. See our guide to credit freezes.
6. Check privacy controls on apps and devices, and delete accounts you no longer use.

Special Situations

If your identity was already misused, follow our identity theft recovery steps.

Safety concerns

If you are worried about stalking, harassment or domestic violence, the FTC mentions the National Network to End Domestic Violence as a resource for a list of sites. Consider talking to an advocate about a broader safety plan, in addition to opt-outs.

Public figures, business owners and professionals

Professional licenses, business filings and property records are often public by design. You may not be able to remove them, but you can look at using a business address or a separate mailing address where the rules allow.

Your children

Some people-search listings include relatives. If a listing shows a child's details, contact the site, and consider placing a credit freeze for children under 16, which the FTC says is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are people-search sites legal?

The FTC describes how they compile reports from public records and other sources and sell them. Whether a specific practice is lawful can depend on state law and the facts, so if you have a safety or legal issue, ask a qualified professional.

Do I have to pay to opt out?

The FTC says you can opt out one by one for free, or pay a service to do it for you.

Will my information come back?

It can. The FTC says information may reappear, for example if public records change, so check periodically.

Does opting out remove my data from government websites?

No. The FTC says opting out does not delete information from public records.

Should I opt out of everything?

Start with sites that show your address and phone number. Then go as far as your privacy and safety needs require.

Related Guides

• Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert: How to Lock Your Credit
• Data Breach: What to Do When Your Email Shows Up in a Leak
• Identity Theft Recovery Steps: What to Do First

Conclusion

Data brokers and people-search sites make personal details easy to buy, and that helps scammers and stalkers. You can reduce your exposure by finding your listings, opting out site by site or through a service, tightening social media privacy and checking back regularly. It won't erase you from the internet, but it makes you a harder target.

Type your name into a search engine and you may find a site offering your age, home address, phone number and the names of your relatives. Those sites are called people-search sites, and they are one kind of data broker. Their reports are useful to scammers and stalkers, and they make identity thieves' work easier.

This guide explains how these sites work, how to ask them to stop selling your information, what you can realistically expect, and how to do it without handing over more data than necessary. It follows the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance on people-search sites.

What Data Brokers and People-Search Sites Do

The FTC explains that companies known as data brokers collect information about us and sell or share it with others. People-search sites are a type of data broker. They may buy data from other brokers, collect details from public social media profiles, and compile information from federal, state and local government public records.

The FTC lists public records that may feed these reports, including property records, driving records, voter registration information, criminal and civil records, birth, marriage, divorce and death records, and professional licenses. With just one piece of information, such as a name or phone number, a buyer could get a report with your age and date of birth, other names you have used, current and previous addresses, properties, marital status, education and employment, and the names and addresses of family members.

People buy these reports for many reasons, some harmless. But for people such as survivors of domestic violence or stalking, having a home address and relatives' names available is a serious safety risk.

Why It Matters for Account Security

The same details are used against you in other ways. Security questions often ask about previous addresses and relatives. Scammers use real personal facts to sound convincing on the phone. A thief who knows your date of birth and address is better placed to pass identity checks. Reducing what is for sale will not stop every attack, but it removes some easy ammunition. If a data breach exposed the same details, see what to do after a data breach.

What Opting Out Can and Cannot Do

The FTC says most people-search sites have a way to tell them to stop selling your information, known as opting out. Some limits to keep in mind:

• Sites will let you opt out of sharing certain details, like your address or phone number, but not everything. The FTC gives the example that sex offender status cannot be removed.
• After you opt out, the site stops selling your existing information.
• Your information may still appear in reports about your relatives, neighbors or associates.
• If the information in your public records changes, it could reappear for sale.
• Opting out does not delete your information from public records, so someone could still find records on a government website.
• The process may require some identity verification.

In other words, opting out reduces exposure but is not a permanent vanishing act. Plan on checking again from time to time.

Option 1: Opt Out Yourself, One Site at a Time

The FTC describes the do-it-yourself process as free but time-consuming, since there are many people-search sites:

1. List the sites to check. If you don't know any by name, start with your own search results. The FTC points to lists from the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Minnesota House of Representatives as places to find people-search sites.
2. Search for yourself. Use your phone number or address first, as the FTC suggests, and then your name. Include old addresses and variations of your name.
3. Find the listing and look for the opt-out link. If you find a report about you, look for a link about opting out or removing information, and follow the steps. If you can't find one, search the site's name plus "opt out" or "remove my information."
4. Submit the request with care. Use the official site and follow its instructions. Give only what is required for verification.
5. Repeat on other sites. Keep a simple record of which sites you've handled and when.
6. Check again periodically. The FTC advises re-checking and submitting a new opt-out request if your information shows up again.

Protect Yourself While You Do It

Exposed details can fuel SIM swap attacks, so lock down your mobile account.

• Use a separate email address or alias for opt-out requests, since many sites send confirmation links. It keeps your main inbox out of the picture and makes it easier to spot follow-up spam.
• Do not send a copy of ID documents unless the site's official instructions really require it, and black out anything not needed, such as ID numbers.
• Stay on the real site. Fake "removal" pages exist. Be cautious about results reached through ads, and be wary of anything that asks for payment or sensitive data to remove a listing you can normally remove free of charge.
• Note confirmation emails. Some removals only finish after you click a link, and some expire.

Option 2: Use an Opt-Out Service

The FTC says paid services will take the steps to opt you out for you. It recommends finding out, before you sign up:

• how many websites the service covers;
• whether it will give you a report about the sites it has opted you out of;
• how often it will scan those sites and delete information that has reappeared or turned up since.

Add a few questions of your own: what personal information the service needs from you, how it stores it, what it costs each year and how to cancel. A service is a convenience, not a guarantee, and it is worth remembering that you are handing identity details to a company in order to remove them elsewhere. Read its privacy policy, and only use one from a company you have researched.

Reduce What Gets Collected in the First Place

1. Tighten social media privacy. The FTC notes that people-search sites may collect from public profiles. Limit who can see your location, workplace, family members and birthdate. The FDIC also warns that sharing birthdates, pet names, family names, locations and employment can give criminals hints to guess passwords.
2. Use unique passwords and two-factor authentication, so that personal information alone doesn't unlock accounts.
3. Be thoughtful with sign-up forms, contests and surveys. Share only what is needed.
4. Use a mail forwarding address or alias for non-essential sign-ups, if your email provider supports it.
5. Consider a credit freeze to block new accounts, since leaked details can be used to apply for credit. See our guide to credit freezes.
6. Check privacy controls on apps and devices, and delete accounts you no longer use.

Special Situations

If your identity was already misused, follow our identity theft recovery steps.

Safety concerns

If you are worried about stalking, harassment or domestic violence, the FTC mentions the National Network to End Domestic Violence as a resource for a list of sites. Consider talking to an advocate about a broader safety plan, in addition to opt-outs.

Public figures, business owners and professionals

Professional licenses, business filings and property records are often public by design. You may not be able to remove them, but you can look at using a business address or a separate mailing address where the rules allow.

Your children

Some people-search listings include relatives. If a listing shows a child's details, contact the site, and consider placing a credit freeze for children under 16, which the FTC says is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are people-search sites legal?

The FTC describes how they compile reports from public records and other sources and sell them. Whether a specific practice is lawful can depend on state law and the facts, so if you have a safety or legal issue, ask a qualified professional.

Do I have to pay to opt out?

The FTC says you can opt out one by one for free, or pay a service to do it for you.

Will my information come back?

It can. The FTC says information may reappear, for example if public records change, so check periodically.

Does opting out remove my data from government websites?

No. The FTC says opting out does not delete information from public records.

Should I opt out of everything?

Start with sites that show your address and phone number. Then go as far as your privacy and safety needs require.

Related Guides

• Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert: How to Lock Your Credit
• Data Breach: What to Do When Your Email Shows Up in a Leak
• Identity Theft Recovery Steps: What to Do First

Conclusion

Data brokers and people-search sites make personal details easy to buy, and that helps scammers and stalkers. You can reduce your exposure by finding your listings, opting out site by site or through a service, tightening social media privacy and checking back regularly. It won't erase you from the internet, but it makes you a harder target.