Search your own name and town, and there is a good chance a stranger can see your home address, phone number, age, and the names of your relatives in under a minute. Nobody asked your permission. That information was collected, packaged and put up for sale by data brokers.
You cannot make it disappear completely. But you can remove a large share of it for free, and in 2026 it has got a little easier. California now has a tool that sends one deletion request to hundreds of brokers at once, and Google will remove search results that show your contact details.
Here is a practical plan, in the order that gets you the most privacy for the least time.
The short version
- Start with Google: its “Results about you” tool can remove search results showing your phone, address or email
- If you live in California, use the free DROP tool to send one request to every registered broker
- Everyone else: opt out of the biggest people-search sites one by one, using their free removal pages
- Use a separate email for opt-out requests so you do not hand brokers a better contact for you
- Recheck every three to six months, because listings come back
- Paid services are a convenience, not a requirement
Short on time? See the key points in our web story.
What data brokers have, and why it matters
Data brokers buy and scrape information from public records (property deeds, voter rolls where allowed, court filings), from companies you do business with, from apps and loyalty programs, and from each other. They then sell it in two main ways.
People-search sites sell profiles to anyone who types in a name. These are the ones most people find when they search themselves, and the ones that matter most for personal safety.
Marketing and risk brokers sell to advertisers, lenders, insurers and other businesses. You rarely see these profiles, but they shape the ads you see and some of the offers you get.
Why bother removing it? Because the same details make scams far more convincing. A caller who knows your address, your age and your daughter’s name sounds a lot more believable. Stalkers and harassers use these sites too. And every listing is one more source for identity thieves.
Step 1: Ask Google to hide your contact details
Removing results from Google does not delete the data from the broker’s site, but it makes it much harder for a casual searcher to find.
- Open the Google app or go to your Google Account and search for “Results about you.”
- Add the contact details you want to watch for: your phone number, home address and email.
- Google shows search results that contain them. Request removal for each one that exposes your details.
- Turn on alerts so Google tells you when new results appear.
This takes about fifteen minutes and covers a lot of ground quickly.
Step 2: If you live in California, use DROP
California’s Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), created under the state’s Delete Act, is the biggest change in this area in years. It is free and run by the California Privacy Protection Agency.
| DROP detail | What it means |
|---|---|
| Who can use it | California residents |
| Where | privacy.ca.gov (look for DROP) |
| Opened to consumers | January 1, 2026 |
| Broker deadline started | August 1, 2026 |
| How often brokers must check | At least every 45 days |
| Time to delete | Within 90 days of picking up your request |
| Brokers covered | Every broker on the state registry, more than 500 |
How to sign up:
- Go to the DROP portal on privacy.ca.gov and select Get Started.
- Verify you live in California, either through the state’s identity gateway or with Login.gov.
- Add an email address and/or mobile number, plus your name and the addresses brokers might have on file. Include past addresses; that is how brokers match records.
- Submit, and save the DROP ID you are given. You use it to track your request.
Two limits to know: DROP only reaches brokers registered in California, and some information is exempt under the law, such as certain public records. It is still the single biggest shortcut available to anyone who qualifies.
Step 3: Opt out of the big people-search sites
If you are outside California, this is the main event. The process is similar on most sites:
- Search for yourself on the site. Note the URL of every listing that matches you, including old addresses.
- Find the site’s opt-out or “do not sell” page. It is usually linked in small print at the bottom of the home page.
- Paste in your listing URL and enter an email address for confirmation.
- Click the confirmation link in the email. Some sites ask for a phone verification instead.
- Take a screenshot of the confirmation, with the date.
Start with the sites that showed up highest when you searched your own name. The well-known names include Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, PeopleFinders, TruthFinder, MyLife and Radaris. Many of these share data with sister sites, so removing yourself from one can remove you from several.
Vermont, Texas and Oregon publish registries of data brokers operating in their states. They are useful lists of where to look, even if you do not live there.
Protect yourself while you opt out
- Create a new free email address just for opt-out requests
- Never upload a photo of your driver license; if a site insists, skip it and move on
- Give only the details already in the listing, not extra ones
- Be wary of sites that charge a fee to remove you; legitimate opt-outs are free
It is a little ironic, but opt-out forms are themselves a way brokers confirm your details. Give them as little as possible.
Step 4: Cut off the data at the source
Removing listings is half the job. The other half is giving brokers less to collect.
- Opt out of prescreened credit offers. This stops the credit bureaus selling your name for pre-approved card mailings. Our guide to OptOutPrescreen.com walks through it
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus. It does not hide your data, but it stops anyone opening new credit with it. See how to freeze your credit for free
- Limit app permissions, especially location, contacts and Bluetooth, on your phone
- Use a different email for shopping and loyalty programs than for banking
- Register on the Do Not Call list and set up carrier spam filters; see our guide to stopping robocalls
Should you pay for a removal service?
Paid services send opt-outs on your behalf and recheck for relisting every few months. If your time is worth more than the subscription, or you have a safety reason to stay hidden, they can be worth it.
But nothing they do is something you cannot do yourself for free. Before you pay, check how many brokers they actually cover, whether they recheck automatically, and how they handle your data. If you do it yourself, put a reminder in your calendar every three months to search your name again.
A realistic expectation
You will not get to zero. Some data is in public records the law protects, and brokers buy fresh lists all the time. The goal is to make yourself hard to find by a casual searcher and to remove the most detailed profiles. Most people can get there in a couple of evenings, and then keep it that way with a quick check each season.
Frequently asked questions
What is a data broker?
A company that collects and sells personal information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, relatives, age and buying habits. People-search sites are the most visible kind, but many brokers sell data only to marketers, insurers or other businesses.
Can I remove my information from data brokers for free?
Yes. Most people-search sites have a free opt-out page, Google lets you request removal of search results that show your phone, home address or email, and California residents can use the free state DROP tool to send one deletion request to every registered broker.
What is California DROP?
DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, is a free California tool run by the California Privacy Protection Agency. Residents verify they live in California, submit one request, and registered data brokers must check it at least every 45 days and process deletions within 90 days, starting August 1, 2026.
Can people outside California use DROP?
No, it is for California residents. Vermont, Texas and Oregon also run data broker registries you can use to find brokers, but you have to contact each broker yourself.
How long does it take for data brokers to remove my information?
It varies. Some people-search sites remove a listing within days, others take weeks. Under DROP, brokers have 90 days. Recheck every few months because listings can reappear when brokers buy new data.
Are paid data removal services worth it?
They save time by sending opt-outs and rechecking for you, but they do nothing you cannot do yourself for free. If you pay for one, read which brokers it covers and whether it rechecks automatically.
More privacy and money guides
- How to freeze your credit for free
- How to stop pre-approved credit card offers
- How to stop robocalls and spam calls
- What to do if your identity is stolen
- How to get your free weekly credit report
Sources: California Privacy Protection Agency (DROP); reporting by Malwarebytes and TechRepublic; Google Account help. Last reviewed October 21, 2026.
