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How to remove yourself from people-search sites for free

Facts last checked Oct 2026 against each company's own pages (sources at the bottom). Prices are in US dollars for US customers unless noted, and companies change them often.

Short answer: You can do it yourself for free. Use a throwaway email, start with the sites that share one opt-out system, work through the big people-search sites, keep a log, and check again every 6 months.

Every major people-search site has a free way to remove your listing. It's tedious, but it works. In Consumer Reports' 2024 test, manual opt-outs removed about 70% of profiles, more than any paid service they tested^[1]. Here's a plan you can finish in one sitting, with links to our step-by-step guide for each site. We check that those opt-out links still respond.

Before you start

Make a throwaway email address just for opt-outs. Many sites send a confirmation link, and some will email you afterwards.
Write down every version of you: name spellings, maiden or previous names, current and past cities, old phone numbers. Listings are often filed under old details.
Keep a log (a note or spreadsheet): site, date submitted, profile URL, and whether a confirmation came back.
Don't give more than the form asks for. If a site wants something unusual, like an ID upload or a phone call, read our page for that site first.

The order to do them in

Start with opt-outs that cover several sites at once, then the sites that rank highest when someone searches a name.

PeopleConnect: Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate Easy Link responds
These three use the same PeopleConnect suppression form, so one request covers all of them. Method: Web form (PeopleConnect suppression).
BeenVerified Easy Link responds
PeopleLooker uses the same BeenVerified opt-out form. Method: Web form + email confirmation.
Whitepages Moderate Link responds
Method: Suppression form + phone verification.
Spokeo Easy Link responds
Method: Web form + email confirmation.
TruePeopleSearch Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
FastPeopleSearch Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
MyLife Hard Link responds
Method: CCPA deletion request / email.
PeopleFinders Easy Link responds
Method: Web form (paste profile URL).
Radaris Moderate Link responds
Method: Account claim + email verification.
Nuwber Easy Needs review
Method: Web form.
ThatsThem Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
SmartBackgroundChecks Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
USPhoneBook Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
FamilyTreeNow Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
CheckPeople Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
ClustrMaps Easy Needs review
Method: Web form.
CyberBackgroundChecks Easy Link responds
Method: Web form.
USA-People-Search Easy Link responds
Method: Web form (manage/optout).
PeekYou Easy Link responds
Method: Web form (select listing).
Acxiom Moderate Link responds
Method: Consumer opt-out portal.

Difficulty ratings and methods come from our broker data. Status badges show our latest automatic link check (Oct 29, 2026). Our Start here page has the complete priority list.

What each opt-out usually involves

Search the site for yourself, and copy the URL of each listing that's you. Many forms ask for it.
Open the site's opt-out page (linked from our guide) and paste the URL, or fill in your name and location.
Confirm through the email link if there is one. Some sites, like Whitepages, verify by phone instead.
Record it in your log. Search again a few days later. If the listing is still there, check our guide for that site and re-submit.

After the first round

Check Google. Search results can lag behind. Once the site removes the page, the result usually disappears after Google recrawls it.
Re-check every 6 months. Listings come back from new public records and other brokers. Our newsletter below can remind you.
Work through the long tail on our full list of 499 brokers if you want to go further.
Consider a paid service only for what's left, especially private brokers you can't search. See is it worth paying?

DeleteMe also publishes free opt-out guides^[2]. Use whichever is clearer for a given site. Ours show the date each link was last checked.

FAQ

Is it really free to opt out of people-search sites?

Yes. The opt-outs in our guides use free web forms, email or privacy-request processes. If a people-search site asks you to pay to remove a listing, treat that as a red flag and look for its free opt-out or privacy-request page instead.

Which sites should I start with?

Start with the PeopleConnect suppression form (it covers Intelius, TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate), then BeenVerified, Whitepages, Spokeo, TruePeopleSearch and FastPeopleSearch. Our Start here page has the full priority order.

Will my information come back?

It can. Listings are rebuilt from public records and other brokers, so check again every few months and re-submit where needed.

Does removing a listing remove it from Google?

Not immediately. Google shows what the site publishes; once the site removes the page, the search result usually drops out after Google recrawls it.

Sources

All checked Oct 2026. If something here is out of date, the company's page is the authority.

Consumer Reports & Tall Poppy: Data Defense: Evaluating People-Search Site Removal Services (Aug 2024, PDF), last checked Oct 2026
DeleteMe: Free opt-out guides, last checked Oct 2026
OptOutWatch: How we check opt-out links, last checked Oct 2026

More comparisons and guides

Get your 6-month re-check reminder + brokers that changed

Brokers re-list people. We'll email you when it's time to check again, plus a short list of opt-out pages that moved or broke. No spam, and unsubscribing takes one click.