Opt-Out Tuesday: How to get off these troublesome people search sites

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Your personal info is all over the internet. Here are three ways to take back your privacy.

People search sites collect and sell personal information, including your name, address, birthday, marital status, family members, social media profiles, education, property records, finances, phone number, police record and employment information. They scrape this information from local, state and federal public records, court records, social media, forums and data brokers.

Our Opt-Out Tuesday series was created to help you remove yourself, step by step, from people search sites. These sites advertise their services as helping you find friends or relatives, but anyone can use them to find out more about you (a jealous ex, a scammer, etc.). Here’s how to put a stop to it.

Avoid people search sites at all costs, especially if it costs you

Don’t ever pay for any people search service. Most of these sites are scammy in nature. You may think you’re paying for one report and find that you’ve been roped into recurring charges.

Don’t pay to remove your information from any site. This process must be provided for free.

Be careful which links you click. They’re often ads that lead you to another site that requests payment. We’ll provide accurate links to remove yourself from these sites with each Opt-Out Tuesday report.

Many sites have a process to remove your records, though it’s not always straightforward:

You might have to repeat the process if your records appear under different names (due to changing your name or a typo).
You may also have to repeat the process multiple times before your information stops coming up in searches.
Remember that you’re not deleting your data from public records when you opt out of a site. You’re just removing your information from that site. People can still use other sites and sources to find information about you.

Give it about a week between attempts. If your information is still there, contact the company directly. We’ve included everything you need to know for each site below.

Do you have older relatives who may not know about these sites? While you’re opting out yourself, why not do the same for them? Just type in their information as you would your own, and follow our steps to completion.

Remove yourself from Social Catfish

Social Catfish enables anyone to find information on you through a search of over 200 billion records. A scammer, hacker or jealous ex can use this site to discover your residential and business phone numbers and addresses.

Here’s how to opt out of Social Catfish

Go to socialcatfish.com/opt-out and type in your name in the search bar. Select your country and hit Search.
Use the dropdown menus to refine your search by state, city and age range, continuing as you go.
You’ll get a list of records. Find the one matching yours and right-click the See Complete Results button and copy the link. Make sure you’re copying the link, not clicking on it to open another page.
- If you’re on mobile, tap and hold the button and copy the link.
Now go to socialcatfish.com/opt-out.
Paste the URL you just copied from your profile in the field marked Enter the URL Here.
Enter your email address at the bottom of the page and complete the CAPTCHA
Select Remove This Listing and you’ll be taken to a confirmation page.
Check your email for a message from the sender SocialCatfish with a link to confirm the removal.
Select the link for final confirmation.

Allow a week or so for your information to be removed from the site.

Go to the contact page at socialcatfish.com/contact and fill in the form if you have any additional questions or concerns.

For more in-depth instructions on Social Catfish, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from RocketReach

RocketReach sells professional and business information online. The site boasts verified data for 700 million professionals across 35 million companies.

Here’s how to opt out of RocketReach:

Go to rocketreach.co/person and type in your name, then click Add.
Use the filters on the left to refine your search.
When you find your profile, click on click on your profile photo or icon. Do not click on Get Contact Info, or you’ll be prompted to create an account.
Copy the URL and go to rocketreach.co/claim-profile.
Paste the URL and fill in your name, company and email address.
Click Submit Request.
Check your inbox for a message from RocketReach.
Click the Claim Profile button in the email to be taken to a screen with information about your profile.
Now select Remove My Profile at the bottom of the screen and confirm on the next page by clicking Remove My Profile again.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page.

It may take several weeks for the changes to take effect.

Send a message to [email protected] if you need more help.

For more in-depth instructions on RocketReach, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Radaris

Radaris boasts hundreds of millions of public records. Everything from phone numbers to property records to background checks on a person can be gathered into one report for anyone to read.

Here’s how to opt out of Radaris:

Go to Radaris.com and search for yourself.
After finding your profile, click View Profile.
Copy your profile URL.
Go to radaris.com/control/privacy.
Paste the URL of your profile, enter your name as it appears in the listing and enter your email address.
Complete the CAPTCHA and click Send Request.
You’ll get a confirmation that an email has been sent to your inbox. Open your inbox and find the message from Radaris.
Confirm your record deletion request by clicking the link in the message. You’ll be taken to another confirmation page from Radaris.

Your information should be removed within 48 hours.

For more help, drop Radaris a message at [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on Radaris, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from USA People Search

USA People Search lets you find everything about a person, past and present. Aside from the basic information all people search sites offer, you can find aliases and unlisted numbers.

The site’s database contains billions of public records from thousands of sources going back over 40 years.

Here’s how to opt out of USA People Search:

Go to usa-people-search.com.
Enter your email address and check off the boxes stating that you are requesting to remove your information.
Complete the CAPTCHA and select Begin Removal Process.
Search for your name and location, then select Search.
Find your profile in the results and select View Details.
On the next page, select Remove Record.
You’ll get an email with a link to remove your name. Select it.
You’ll be taken to a page stating that your request has been accepted. There’s also information and a link to a site that “improves your reputation” by removing your information from websites for a fee. You don’t need these services — just use the opt-out roundup you’re reading right now!

Allow 72 hours for your changes to take effect.

If you need assistance, fill out the contact form at usa-people-search.com/contact.

For more in-depth instructions on USA People Search, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Apollo.io

Apollo.io allows anyone to search and engage with over 250 million contacts at over 60 million companies through its platform.

Here’s how to opt out of Apollo.io:

Find out if your information is posted on Apollo.io. Open your browser and use the following search formula: “[job title] [company] Apollo.io.”
Whether or not your information comes up in any of the results, you can still submit a request to opt out.
Go to apollo.io/privacy-policy/remove.
Enter your email address and select Click here to opt out of Apollo.
You’ll get a popup telling you to check your inbox.
Open the message from Apollo Support and click the verification link.
You’ll be taken to a page confirming your removal request.

Keep an eye out for another email saying your information will be removed in 24 hours.

Contact [email protected] if you need help or more information. You can request that all your information be deleted from the site.

For more in-depth instructions on Apollo.io, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from TruePeopleSearch

TruePeopleSearch offers free access to billions of records, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, known associates and more.

Here’s how to opt out of TruePeopleSearch:

Go to truepeoplesearch.com/removal.
Fill in your email address and check the box confirming your request to be removed.
Complete the CAPTCHA.
Select Begin Removal.
Fill in your name and city/state, then hit the search button.
Find your record in the list and select View Details.
Scroll down and select Remove This Record.
You’ll be taken to a page informing you that an email was sent to you with a link to complete your removal request.
Open the message in your inbox and tap or click the link.

You’ll be taken to a final confirmation page informing you that your record will be removed from the site within 72 hours.

Fill out the contact form at truepeoplesearch.com/contact if you need more help.

For more in-depth instructions on TruePeopleSearch, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from FamilyTreeNow

Ever try one of those genealogy sites? It may seem like a fun idea to trace your ancestry, but the privacy risk is extremely high, especially when you submit a sample for DNA.

FamilyTreeNow boasts billions of family records, including census records from 1790-1940, birth records, death records, marriage and divorce records and military records. Don’t be tempted!

Here’s how to opt out of FamilyTreeNow:

Go to familytreenow.com/optout.
Fill in your email address and complete the CAPTCHA.
Click the Begin Opt Out Procedure button.
Enter your information to find your profile and hit Search.
Find your profile in the list and select View Details.
On the next page, select the red Opt Out This Record button.
You’ll get an email containing a link to complete your opt-out request.
Hit the link in your email and you’ll be taken to a confirmation page.

Give it at least 72 hours for your information to be removed.

Fill out the contact form at familytreenow.com/contact if you need more help.

For more in-depth instructions on FamilyTreeNow, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from InfoTracer

InfoTracer boasts 5 billion records containing names, addresses, phone numbers, family histories and employment information. You can also get information on assets, birth certificates, political contributions and unclaimed money.

Here’s how to opt out of InfoTracer:

Go to infotracer.com/optout.
Enter your name and location and tap Submit.
Find your information in the list and check the box in the Select Record column.
Hit the Remove Data button in the Request to Remove my Data column.
Enter your email address and write “Please remove my data” in the Comment field.
Complete the CAPTCHA and hit Submit to get a verification email.
Tap Click Here in the email message to confirm your request.

You’ll be taken to a final confirmation screen. Give it about a week for your information to be removed.

Fill out the contact form at infotracer.com/help or call 800-791-1427 if you need more help.

For more in-depth instructions on InfoTracer, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from FastPeopleSearch

FastPeopleSearch boasts 16.5 billion available records being searched 100 million times per month. Yikes!

Here’s how to opt out of FastPeopleSearch:

Go to fastpeoplesearch.com/removal.
Enter your email address and check off the box stating that you are requesting to remove your information.
Complete the CAPTCHA and click Begin Removal Process.
Search for your name and location, then select Free Search.
Find your profile in the results and select View Free Details.
On the next page, select Remove My Record.
You’ll get an email with a link to remove your name. Select it.
You’ll be taken to a page stating that your record has been removed.

Allow 72 hours for your changes to take effect.

If you need assistance, fill out the contact form at fastpeoplesearch.com/contact.

For more in-depth instructions on FastPeopleSearch, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Whitepages

Whitepages.com has been around since 1997. The people search site boasts cell phone numbers for over 275 million people nationwide.

Here’s how to opt out of Whitepages:

Go to whitepages.com and type in your name and location and hit Search.
You can filter by age and state to narrow the results.
Scroll down past the results with the View Full Report Button and find your profile in the results below and select View Details.
Copy the URL of your profile page.
Go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests.
Paste your URL and select Next.
Select Remove Me on the next page.
Open the Select a reason dropdown menu and choose I just want to keep my information private, then hit Next.
Enter your phone number and check off the box. Tap or click the Call now to verify button.
You’ll receive an automated call asking for the verification code that pops up on the next screen. When prompted, enter the verification code. The call will tell you that your opt-out request was accepted.

It may take up to 24 hours for your profile to be removed from Whitepages.

If you need help, email customer service at [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on Whitepages, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from AddressSearch

AddressSearch prides itself on providing free access to more than 95 million email addresses and 140 million mailing addresses.

Here’s how to get your information off of AddressSearch:

Go to addresssearch.com/remove-info.
Enter your name, email address and other information.
Select Remove yourself when you’re done.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page with the message, Your information has successfully been removed.

Wait 24 to 48 hours for your information to be removed.

Go to addresssearch.com/contact.php for any questions or concerns.

For more in-depth instructions on AddressSearch, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Spokeo

Spokeo boasts a database of 12 billion records. Nearly 20 million people visit Spokeo.com each month.

Follow our step-by-step instructions to opt out of Spokeo:

Go to spokeo.com and enter your information to search for your profile.
Refine your search by selecting a state from the Browse Locations list. Tap All Filters to refine your search further.
Tap on your name to go to your profile page and copy the URL.
Go to spokeo.com/optout.
Paste the URL in the Enter URL here field.
Enter your email address and complete the CAPTCHA.
Select Remove this listing.
Check your email for a message from Spokeo.
Tap or click the link below this line: To complete the removal process, please click this URL or paste it into your browser.
You’ll be taken to a page with the message, We’ve received your request to remove this listing.

Give the site at least a week to process your removal request.

If you need customer support, call Spokeo at 888-558-9004. Check out the contact page for more ways to get in touch.

For more in-depth instructions on Spokeo, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from MyLife

MyLife launched in 2008 due to a merger between two other search sites: Reunion.com and Wink.com. The site boasts a Reputation Score feature, which assigns a number based on how you’re presented online to anyone who cares to look.

Here’s how to remove yourself entirely from the site.

Go to mylife.com and select the Do Not Sell My Personal Information button at the bottom of the page.
Fill in the required starred information.
Select Find URL of Reputation Profile by last name and then select the first letter of your last name.
You’ll have to go through quite a bit of narrowing down to get to a list of profiles that match yours.
Once you find your profile, copy the URL and paste it into the field marked Enter the profile URL on the opt-out page.
When you’re finished, select Opt Out at the bottom of the form.

A message appears that states your request will be processed within 15 business days.

If you need customer support, call 888-704-1900 or email [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on MyLife, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Search Systems

Search Systems has been around since 1996. It has its own opt-out process, but you may be redirected to another people search site if you want to remove your information. In this case it’s BeenVerified, a site associated with others like it.

We’ve included instructions for both opt-out processes below:

Go to publicrecords.searchsystems.net.
Enter your first name, last name and state in the provided fields.
Read the fine print about not using the information you find for nefarious purposes and tap I agree.
Find your information in the search results and click the link.
Copy the link to the URL.
Now go to publicrecords.searchsystems.net/opt-out.php or tap Remove My Records at the bottom of the Search Systems homepage.
Enter your name and email address and paste the link to the information you copied earlier.
Under Reason for Removal, tell the simple truth. You don’t want your personal information available through this site.
Enter the code to prove you’re not a robot and select Submit Request.
Look out for a confirmation email.

Wait a couple of weeks for your information to clear.

If you need to contact Search Systems, go to publicrecords.searchsystems.net/contact.php.

For more in-depth instructions on Search Systems, including screenshots, tap or click here.

If you’re redirected to BeenVerified, here’s how to opt-out from there:

Go to beenverified.com/app/optout/search.
Enter your first and last name and select your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.
Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

Expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.

For customer support, write to [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on BeenVerified, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from StateRecords

Removing your information from StateRecords is an easy process:

Go to staterecords.org/optout.
Enter your name, state and city.
Mark the checkbox for all entries that match your information, then select Remove Data.
Enter your email address on the next screen and complete the CAPTCHA.
Select Submit when you’re done.
Check your email for a message from [email protected].
Select Click Here to confirm your removal request.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. And with that, you’re done.

Wait a few days, search the site for your records, and repeat the process if necessary.

If you have any issues, contact StateRecords at 855-938-5042.

For more in-depth instructions on StateRecords, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeopleByName

PeopleByName doesn’t want you to opt out. The site makes it difficult to find the right page to get your information out. Our content queen, Allie, had to navigate through annoying links and redirects, but she found what she was looking for!

Here’s how to erase your information from PeopleByName:

Go to peoplebyname.com/remove.php.
You’ll be asked for a record ID. You don’t have to provide it, and we recommend not doing so since you’d have to search through the website to find it. Do that, and you run the risk of clicking a shady link.
Just enter your first name, last name and email.
You also must enter a reason for deleting your data. Type something like “I want it removed for the sake of privacy.” Of course, you can get creative and write something else. Just make sure to get the point across.
Either way, hit Request Removal to complete the process.

In around a day, the email you provided should get an update.

For more in-depth instructions on PeopleByName, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeekYou

As with any people search site, PeekYou advertises its services as a convenient way to find your friends and relatives. Of course, anyone can find information on anyone else using people search sites.

There are a couple of ways to remove your information from PeekYou:

Go to peekyou.com and enter your first and last name and state. Click the search button.
You’ll get a list of matches near the top of the page. Click on the match that applies to you.
On the next page, click Opt Out in the upper-right corner of the box containing your information. It’s gray and hard to see, but it’s there.
You’ll be taken to an opt-out form, with the Unique ID for the profile you selected already filled in.
Enter your email address and complete the CAPTCHA.
Read and confirm the agreements and click submit.
You’ll get an email with a confirmation link. Click the link and you’ll be taken to a confirmation page.

Alternatively, you can go to PeekYou homepage and scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Do Not Sell My Personal Information. From here you can enter your personal information and URLs linking to any matching profiles on the site. Use the above steps to complete your opt-out request.

If you need to contact PeekYou, send an email to [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on PeekYou, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Private Eye

Here’s how to remove yourself from Private Eye’s database, which is owned by PeopleFinders:

Go to privateeye.com/static/view/contact.
Tap or click the Click Here To Opt Out button on the left side of the page.
An Opt Out box appears on the page. Fill in your name, city and state and complete the CAPTCHA.
Tap or click the Opt out button.
You’ll be taken to a page with a dancing animated hamster.

If you need additional assistance, contact customer support here.

For more in-depth instructions on Private Eye, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from SpyFly

With a name like “SpyFly” you know it’s bad. There are two ways to remove your information from SpyFly. The help page says to email [email protected] with your first and last name as shown on the website, along with your age, your current address and your previous addresses. The process should take 24 hours.

The other method is to opt-out through the website:

Go to spyfly.com.
Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and select Remove My Public Record.
Scroll down and enter your name, age, current address, previous address and email address.
Tap or click Submit and you’ll be taken to a confirmation page.
Check your email for a message from SpyFly Support.
You’ll have to reply to the email to validate your request. Try something like, “Please remove the information associated with me from the SpyFly.com database” or “Please remove my information from SpyFly.com.” Be concise and clear.

Wait a few days and search the site again for your records. If you have any issues, contact SpyFly customer support here.

F or more in-depth instructions on SpyFly, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeopleFinders

PeopleFinders has been around for 20 years. You’ll definitely want to remove your information from this one. Here’s how:

Go to peoplefinders.com and enter your name, city and state, then click Search.
Find your profile and hit View.
Copy the URL and go to peoplefinders.com/opt-out.
Enter the URL and your email address.
Complete the CAPTCHA and click Send Request.
Click the verification link in the email, and eventually, your information will disappear from the site.

For customer support, call 800-718-8997.

For more in-depth instructions on PeopleFinders, including screenshots, tap or click here.

The PeopleConnect connection

While the above people search sites each have their own opt-out processes, the following sites are part of the “PeopleConnect family.” This means they follow the same steps to remove your information. Here’s what you need to know:

Suppression is not the same as deletion: PeopleConnect has a “Suppression Tool,” which prevents your information from searching for your information on its people search sites. This does not delete your data.
More deletion confusion: There’s an option to delete your data, but according to PeopleConnect’s own Privacy Center page, “Deleting your user information will NOT prevent other users from searching for your information through the people search websites.”
Privacy promise: As for opting out of letting your information be shared with third parties, PeopleConnect states that it “does not share your personal information with partners and affiliates for their marketing purposes.” So they say.

The wording in the Privacy Center is not very clear. We wrote to PeopleConnect about this and have yet to receive a response. To cover all our bases, we’ll show you how to suppress your data and delete it.

Remove yourself from Intelius

Intelius is one of the more prominent data brokers on the web and is part of PeopleConnect.

The old opt-out link for Intelius is broken, so you’ll need to use the PeopleConnect suppression tool. Let’s start there:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

NOTE: PeopleConnect pushes the suppression tool as the best way to stop people from finding you on its sites, but there is also an option to delete. Before you do so, know that PeopleConnect states that deleting your data will also delete your suppressions.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for Intelius or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on Intelius, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from US Search

US Search is one of the earliest people search sites, having been around since 1993. It’s part of the PeopleConnect family, which means you have to follow the same steps as a bunch of the sites above.

The original US Search opt-out page is now a broken link, so you’ll have to go through PeopleConnect:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for US Search or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email, since you already deleted it.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on US Search, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Truthfinder

The truth is out there, and that’s not a good thing. Truthfinder provides access to hundreds of millions of records.

The original opt-out link for Truthfinder now directs you to PeopleConnect’s suppression tool:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for Truthfinder or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email (since you already deleted it).

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on TruthFinder, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeopleLookup

Like many people search sites, PeopleLookup is linked with other similar services, which in this case was US Search.

The original US Search opt-out page is now a broken link, so you’ll have to go through PeopleConnect:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for PeopleLookup or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on PeopleLookup, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate boasts more than 1.4 billion searches on its website. Checkmate, indeed.

The old opt-out link for Instant Checkmate now leads you to the PeopleConnect suppression tool. Let’s start with that:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for Instant Checkmate or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on Instant Checkmate, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeopleFinder

We covered PeopleFinders in Opt-Out Tuesday, but this is PeopleFinder — the same name, minus the “S” at the end. The spelling doesn’t matter, as both sites exist to perform the same invasive function.

PeopleFinder had an opt-out page from Intelius, which no longer works. Now you must go through PeopleConnect.

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for PeopleFinder or another site, you’ll get a message stating that there is no record associated with your email.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on PeopleFinder, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from ZabaSearch

ZabaSearch is powered by Intelius and used to link you to an opt-out page via that site, but it no longer works.

They’re both part of PeopleConnect, which has its own opt-out steps to follow:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/login.
Enter your email address, read through the privacy policy and terms of service and hit Submit.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from [email protected]. Tap the Verify Email button in the message.
Enter your name and email address and scroll down and hit Save when you’re done.
Go back to the top of the page and select the Suppression Setting tab and wait for your information to show up.
If the information matches yours, select the Visibility Setting dropdown menu and select Suppressed.
If you can’t locate your information, select the Identity tab at the top to go back to the previous page.
Hit the Edit Identity button and enter more information, such as another email address you use. Verifying more of your information may help to locate your matching profile on the site.

With that in mind, here’s how delete your data:

Go to suppression.peopleconnect.us/privacy-center and scroll down to the Right to Delete section.
Enter your email address (if you followed the suppression steps above, your information may already be in the system and you won’t have to enter your email address again).
Hit the Delete My User Data button. You’ll get a message saying you have to complete the process via a link in your email.
Check your inbox for a message from [email protected]. Tap the link at the bottom to permanently delete your account data.
You’ll be taken to a confirmation page. Keep an eye out for another email message confirming your deletion.

NOTE: If you’ve already gone through the PeopleConnect deletion process for ZabaSearch or another site, you’ll get an email stating that there is no record associated with your email.

If you have any trouble completing these steps or need more information, write to [email protected] or call 888-245-1655.

For more in-depth instructions on ZabaSearch, including screenshots, tap or click here.

The BeenVerified network

Many people search sites are owned by or affiliated with similar sites. The following sites all use the same opt-out process from BeenVerified.

Remove yourself from BeenVerified

BeenVerified lets users search for property records as well as personal information. Here’s how to remove your data:

Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/search.
Enter your first and last name and select your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.
Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

Expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.

Now you can go on to remove your property data:

Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/address-search.
Enter your address in the search box.
Click Continue next to your matching result.
Tick the box on the names you want to remove from the record, then click Opt-out Owner.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

Expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.

For customer support, write to [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on BeenVerified, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from FreePhoneTracer

FreePhoneTracer is part of the BeenVerified network. It uses the same simple opt-out process:

Go to beenverified.com/app/optout/search.
Enter your first and last name and select your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.
Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

Expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.

For customer support, write to [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on FreePhoneTracer, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from DOBSearch

While many people search sites have their own databases, others exist just to lead you elsewhere. DOBSearch is a perfect example of this. At the moment, it exists only to push people to another site we’ve covered in Opt-Out Tuesday — BeenVerified.

Follow the same opt-out process used for BeenVerified to remove your information from DOBSearch:

Go to beenverified.com/app/optout/search.
Enter your first and last name and select your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.
Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

Expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.

You can also fill out the form at dobsearch.com/contact and ask for your information to be removed.

For more in-depth instructions on DOBSearch, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Remove yourself from PeopleSmart

PeopleSmart lets you search for professional information for sales, leads and customer acquisition. The site has access to hundreds of millions of records.

PeopleSmart also has the option to search for more personal data rather than professional. Selecting this links you to BeenVerified, a partner brand. Incidentally, BeenVerified also manages the opt-out process for PeopleSmart.

Here’s how to opt out of PeopleSmart:

Go to peoplesmart.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Hit the link labeled Do Not Sell My Personal Information.
You’ll be redirected to BeenVerified. Click the Do Not Sell My Info button.
Enter your name and select your state from the dropdown menu, then hit Search.
Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
Fill in your email address and click Send Verification Email.
Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page.

It may take a few weeks for your information to be deleted from the site.

For customer support, write to [email protected] or [email protected].

For more in-depth instructions on PeopleSmart, including screenshots, tap or click here.

Keep reading

Your IP address: What it is and why you need to protect yours if you care about privacy

Protect your privacy: How to remove your home’s photos from Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com

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