Like it or not, your personal information is online for anyone to find. This can include your full name, address, phone number, police record, employment information and more. People search sites scrape this information from public records, court records, social media and other sources.

Many sites exist solely to offer such services. You only need a small piece of information, such as a person’s phone number, and from there, you can locate more information on them. Tap or click here for our running list of people search sites with instructions for removal.

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Data brokers and people search sites are more than just a nuisance; they’re a downright menace. I’ve been sounding the alarm on these digital peeping Toms for years.

Imagine a vast web of data brokers lurking in the shadows, all with one goal: To mine and sell your personal info to anyone flashing cash. 

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People search sites collect your information from publicly available sources and offer it to anyone interested, including thieves and scammers. There are countless sites like this. So, how do you protect your data? You need to remove it.

In this edition of my Opt-Out Tuesday series, let’s remove your data from FamilyTreeNow.

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I’ve warned you about all the scummy sites that collect your personal details for years. I’ll never forget, not too long ago, when my son Ian asked about a house I lived at in my 20s. I couldn’t remember where it was.

Ian called and asked if it was a particular street in LA. It was, but how the heck did he know? The address I lived at many years ago was listed with my name on a people search website. So creepy!

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My son asked me where I lived for a few months in Los Angeles over 25 years ago. It was a gig working for Unisys that was far from memorable. He found that address at a free people search site, along with my other addresses and cell phone numbers. Nice.

That’s what inspired my widely successful Opt-Out Tuesday series at Komando.com. Every Tuesday, we walk you through all the steps to remove your personal information from a different people search site. It’s been a ton of work, as these sites don’t make it easy.

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As you surf the web and social media, companies and data brokers are building a robust online profile. They use everything from the ads you click on to the topics you spend the most time browsing to hit you with related ads.

It may feel creepy or annoying sometimes, but it can be worse. You could get hit with ads that offend or upset you. A recovering alcoholic, for example, should not get ads for alcohol. Google lets you opt out of certain topics so you won’t see them in places like YouTube and Gmail. Tap or click here for steps to shut down ads you don’t want to see.

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People are tracking you online. Whether they’re trying to scam you or serve you with ads, privacy is not something you can take for granted.

Between your emails, cookies (the tracking kind, not the delicious kind) and nosy apps, you’re being watched without even knowing it, but don’t despair — you can take back your privacy in a few steps. Here’s how to fight back against Big Tech.

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When was the last time you searched for your name online? It’s a little eerie to click through the results. You’ll find some things are just plain wrong, but there’s likely plenty of accurate information about you floating around the web that you never realized.

Crooks, hackers and scammers can access this information as easily as anyone else. Tap or click here for instructions on removing your information from these dangerous sites.

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People search sites collect and sell personal information and make it available for anyone to see. Your name, address, phone number and other bits of data are likely scattered across multiple sites.

We launched our Opt-Out Tuesday series last year to provide detailed instructions on removing your information from people search sites. We even compiled each entry into one mega post so you can opt out of multiple sites simultaneously. Go here to check out the roundup.

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We’ve written a lot of articles about Google searches and online databases. Our online safety is important, and much of that comes down to regulating our searches and learning how to protect ourselves. Tap or click here for seven things to never search for on Google.

If you haven’t tried Googling your email address, though, this is a new tip that you should try. While you can scroll through the internet and look for your old accounts one by one, there is an easier way.

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There is a scary amount of personal information on the internet. You don’t need a degree in information technology or network administration to find someone’s email address, telephone number or where they live.

Whether you consider them shady or not, people search websites have a lot of information on all of us. The worst part is that most don’t even know their details are publically available.

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People search sites advertise as services for finding people you’ve lost touch with.

These sites scrape personal information from local, state and federal public records, court records, social media, data brokers and forums. Tap or click here for detailed instructions for removing your information from these creepy sites.

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No matter how careful you are, your personal information will find its way to the internet. Whenever you sign up for a new account, share a photo on social media or make a purchase, another bit of your data is exposed.

Anybody can do a Google search to find out more information about you. There’s a lot of data-shared you can’t stop, but you can request that personal details like your address and phone number be removed. Tap or click here for step-by-step instructions.

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Like it or not, your information is all over the internet. Government records reveal private information, including your full legal name and arrest records. On top of that, security breaches leak highly critical data, like your address and Social Security number.

It’s easy for hackers, stalkers and strangers to find your private information. They can head to free sites that compile public information into easily accessible databases. At the Komando HQ, we refer to these as “people search sites.”

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People search sites advertise as services for finding long-lost friends and family. But anyone can use these sites to find information on strangers.

People search sites scrape personal information, such as your full name, address, phone number, family history, employment information and more. Crooks, hackers and scammers can access this information as easily as anyone else. Tap or click here for instructions for removing your information from these dangerous sites.

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While tech companies collect your data to build an online profile and track your shopping and browsing habits, other companies sell it to whoever is interested.

People search sites search public records to get information on you. This includes your full name, address, phone number, family history, employment information and more. Tap or click here for our growing list of invasive people search sites.

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It’s a fact that Big Tech companies collect your data to build an online profile and track your shopping and browsing habits. It doesn’t end there, however. Other companies sell your information to anyone interested.

People search sites scour public records to get information on you. This includes your full name, address, phone number, family history, police records, relationships, employment information and more. Tap or click here for our growing list of invasive people search sites. We’re at over 30 entries and counting!

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I always say that what you post on the internet is forever.

That’s why it’s crucial to protect your personal information. Think, for example, how bad it would be if a risqué photo you thought was safe on your computer ended up in the wrong hands. Tap or click for my best advice on storing sensitive personal pictures.

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Companies are collecting data on you whenever you use the internet. This information is used to target you with ads or is sold to third parties. Either way, it’s terrible news.

People search sites use public records to get information on you, which is available for anyone who wants to see it. Hackers, scammers, and jealous exes all are welcome when it comes to your data. Tap or click here for our growing list of invasive people search sites and what you can do about them.

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People search sites have been around for a while. They provide information on more than just phone numbers. You can find public records on anyone without having much to go on but their name. That’s what makes them so scary.

There are countless people search sites out there, and we’ve been gathering them up into one mega post, complete with opt-out instructions. Tap or click here to remove yourself from these sites.

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