How to Remove Your Information From the Web

If you've ever searched for someone on the web, what you usually end up finding is data gleaned from publicly accessible information. Websites that have this data, like phone numbers, addresses, land records, marriage records, death records, criminal history, etc., have collected and consolidated it from dozens of different places and put it in one convenient hub.

While this information is available online for public access, it's the consolidation of this information in one place that can make people uncomfortable. The most popular people search websites simply use information that's a matter of public record, however, this data used to be somewhat obscured by how difficult it would be for someone to compile this amount of information on someone.

Person removing information from the internet — Lifewire / Alison Czinkota

The following websites are not doing anything illegal. This is all public information. Sites that collate this type of data function as search engines for public data. We all scatter small bits of our personal information all over the place in real life and online, but since it's spread out and requires effort to access, this affords us a certain level of privacy. Aggregating all this information into one place and making it so easily accessible can bring up serious privacy concerns.

Below, we'll look at how you can opt out of several of the most popular background check and people search websites. You do not need to pay for your information to be removed.

Removing your data from these websites doesn't make it inaccessible; just less easy to access. Someone who knows what they're doing will still be able to find this information, but it will definitely be more difficult to track down. If you want to remove all traces of your identity from anywhere on the web, it's almost impossible with how much free information is available to those who want to dig for it.

How to Remove Personal Information From Radaris

To remove your personal information from Radaris, find yourself in their public records and then verify that you are who you say you are so that you can delete your data from their website.

Visit the Radaris home page.
Search for yourself using the text boxes.
Select Full Profile on the result that pertains to you. You can use the filtering options to narrow down the results if there are several.
Select the small arrow next to the Background Check & Contact Info button, and choose Control Info.
Select Control Info.
Log in to finish removing your data. You can make a new account right now using the form on the page, or log in with Facebook or Google.
Verify that this profile is yours by entering your real name into the spaces provided. Also put in your phone number and press Send code.

If you've logged in to Radaris in the past to remove your information, then you won't see this page since your identity has already been verified. Go ahead and skip down to Step 10.

Don't have a phone number that can receive a code? If you have a tablet or other device that supports apps (even an Android emulator will work), download a free internet phone app that gives out a real phone number. Have the code sent to that number so that you can complete this step.
When you receive the code, enter it on the Radaris website and select Submit.

If you're trying to delete information that someone else has already claimed as their own, you'll be given an error that the profile is controlled by the other person.
Select View Profile.
Repeat Step 4 above by selecting the Control Info button.
Select Manage Info.
Next to your profile, select Delete specific records.

You can instead make your entire profile private by choosing the other link on that page.
Scroll through the list of records and put a check in the box next to anything you want to remove from Radaris.
Scroll to the very bottom and choose Remove selected record(s).

How to Remove Personal Information From USA People Search

USA People Search allows you to fill out a form to review what the website has on you so that you can choose to opt out of their database.

Visit the USA People Search Opt Out page and search for yourself.
Select THAT'S THE ONE next to the entry that pertains to you.
Complete the security check and agree to the TOS.
Select Continue.

How to Remove Personal Information From Whitepages & 411.com

Whitepages doesn't let you edit the information they have on you, nor can you necessarily delete the information. However, they do provide a way to to hide your information from their website.

411.com uses the same information found on Whitepages, so deleting your personal data through the steps below is how you remove your information from 411.com, too.

Search for yourself from the Whitepages home page.
Select View Details next to your information.
From the navigation bar in your browser, copy the URL to your profile page.
Paste the URL into the Opt-out of Whitepages form, and then select Opt-out.
Verify that the information is what you want to delete from Whitepages, and then select Remove me.
Pick a reason for wanting to erase your online information, and then use the Submit button to continue.
Enter your phone number into the box and verify with the check box that you are the person associated with the account you're removing.
Select Call now to verify.
Whitepages will call you and have you type the number you see on the screen.

If your information is being displayed in a premium listing, you have to verify your identity in order for the data to be deleted. To do that, fill out this support request form and choose I need to edit or remove a listing.

How to Remove Personal Information From PrivateEye.com & PublicRecordsNOW

To delete your name and other information from PrivateEye.com and PublicRecordsNOW, you have to first find your profile.

Use the PeopleFinders Opt Out page on to find your information.
Find the profile that belongs to you, and select This is me.
Choose opt out my info.
Agree to the terms and complete the security check.
Select continue.

According to both PrivateEye.com and PublicRecordsNOW, submitting this removal request "can block your records from being shown in many, but not all, of our search results".

How to Remove Personal Information From Intelius & ZabaSearch

Intelius is one of the most widely-known pay-for-information people search websites, so it has lots of information on many people. In order to delete your data from their site, you have to fill out a form.

The information you find on ZabaSearch is gathered from Intelius, so you can use this same method to remove your personal information from ZabaSearch.

Use the Intelius Opt-out form to find your information.
Locate the entry that includes the information you want to remove, and choose Select & Continue.

There are several filters you can use on the results page to narrow down the list. They include middle initial, age, state, and city.
Enter your email address in both text fields on the next page, check the box in the CAPTCHA area, and choose Continue.
Check your email for a message from Intelius.

If you don't see it, check the Spam folder. If it's there, move it into your Inbox folder via drag-and-drop.
Select the link in the email to submit your opt-out request.

You'll get another email with a reference number, which you should keep in case you need to contact them later if they end up not removing your information.

How to Remove Personal Information From PeekYou

PeekYou offers a very simple form to fill out to delete your information from their directory.

Search for yourself on PeekYou.
Select your name when you find the right entry.
Go the URL in your browser and copy the string of digits at the very end.
Visit the PeekYou OptOut form and fill out all the fields, entering into the Unique ID box the part of the URL you just copied.
Agree to the terms by checking those boxes, and then select Submit.
Open the email PeekYou sent you, and choose the long URL to confirm that you want your information removed from their site. You might need to check the Spam folder to find the message.

How to Remove Personal Information From BeenVerified & PeopleSmart

Deleting your data from BeenVerified can be accomplished by completing a form on their website, and then you have to follow through by selecting a link in your email. Your information is typically deleted 24 hours later.

The same directions apply if you want to delete your information from PeopleSmart.

Search your information in BeenVerified's Opt-Out people search.
Select your entry when you find it in the list.
Fill out the form by entering your email address and putting a check in the verification box.
Select Send Verification Email.
Select Verify Opt-Out in the email BeenVerified sent you. If you don't see the message, check in your Spam folder, and move it to Inbox to enable the link.

How to Remove Personal Information From AnyWho

Unlike some of these people finding websites, AnyWho explains in their privacy policy that only your residential phone number can be removed. It should take just one day to complete the request.

Do a reverse phone lookup or regular person search on AnyWho's website.
Choose your name in the list of results to access your profile page.
Select Remove Listing.
Fill out the form with all the same information from the AnyWho page, and then choose Remove Me. AnyWho directs you to YellowPages.com to fill out the form.

If the AnyWho website doesn't look like it does in these screenshots, and so you can't use the online form to opt out your information, there is another way. Visit the AnyWho Listing Removal page to learn how to mail in a removal request.

How to Remove Personal Information From Spokeo

Spokeo provides a super easy method for removing your personal information. All you need to do is submit the URL to your profile and confirm the removal request via email. It should take two to three days to process.

Search for yourself from the Spokeo home page.
Select your name from the results list. If there are too many to look through, use the location filter off to the left to narrow down the results.
Copy the URL to your profile.
Paste the URL into the first text box on the Spokeo Opt Out page, and provide your email address in the second box.
Confirm the robot check and then choose REMOVE THIS LISTING.
Select the second link in the email Spokeo sent to confirm the removal of your personal information from their website.

How to Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet

Delete your public records from popular sites