How to Remove Your Personal Information From Data Broker Sites
This got meaningfully easier in 2026, especially if you live in California. Here's the step-by-step process for getting your name, address, and phone number off the sites that sell them, and how far to take it yourself before it stops being worth your time.
We touched on this in Am I Being Hacked?: data brokers are Layer 3, the mass data collection that never stops and quietly supplies the raw material for Layer 2 attacks like phishing and doxxing. If you've ever Googled your own name and found your home address, phone number, and relatives listed on a site you never signed up for, that's a data broker. The good news is that pulling your listing down is more tractable than it used to be.
1. California Residents: Start With DROP
In October 2023, California's Delete Act became law, directing the state to build a single tool that reaches every data broker registered in California at once. That tool, DROP (the Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform), opened to consumers on January 1, 2026. As of August 1, 2026, registered brokers are required to actually act on it: checking DROP for new requests at least once every 45 days, then processing what they find.
A single DROP request currently reaches more than 600 registered brokers. You confirm you're a California resident, then fill in your name, email, phone number, and zip code so brokers can match you in their systems. That's it, and it's free. This is the single highest-leverage thing you can do if you're a CA resident. Go to privacy.ca.gov and look for DROP.
If you're not in California, the manual process below still applies. Several other states are watching how this rolls out and may build their own version.
2. The Core DIY Process (Any State)
Step 1: Opt out of the biggest brokers first. They resell to smaller ones, so this has the widest reach: Acxiom, LiveRamp, Epsilon, Experian Marketing Services (not your credit file), Comscore, Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, MyLife, Radaris, PeopleFinders, and Intelius. Each has its own opt-out page: search “[company name] opt out privacy,” find your own listing, and submit a removal. Expect to redo this every six to twelve months, since brokers re-scrape public records.
Step 2: Cut off the feeder sources. Brokers pull heavily from a handful of places:
- Voter registration: some states let you request address suppression
- Property records: some counties allow redaction for safety reasons
- Loyalty programs, warranty cards, and app permissions: stop handing this data out going forward
Step 3: Advertising platforms.
- Google: My Ad Center → turn off ad personalization, delete inferred interests
- Meta / Facebook: Settings → Ads → Ad preferences → remove interest categories
- Amazon: Settings → Request My Data, and turn off personalized ads
Step 4: People-search sites. These are the ones people actually find when they Google you, and usually the most uncomfortable to see: Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, Radaris, PeopleFinders, FastPeopleSearch, USSearch, InstantCheckmate, and PeopleLooker. Opt out of each individually.
3. Automate It, or Have Someone Walk You Through It
Doing 100+ opt-outs by hand, and then redoing them every few months, is genuinely tedious. Paid services (DeleteMe, Incogni, Optery, Kanary) will run it on an ongoing basis for roughly $80-150/year, resubmitting removals as brokers re-add you.
To be upfront about our own role here: most broker and people-search opt-outs require you to verify the request yourself, usually through your own email or a text confirmation. That means we can't quietly do this for you in the background the way we can patch a machine remotely: you need to be part of it. What we can do is sit down with you, on a remote session or in person, and work through the priority list together: we drive the browser, you handle the confirmation clicks, and what would take you a scattered afternoon gets done in one sitting. If you'd rather have it running continuously, we can also help you pick and set up one of the paid services above.
4. Ongoing Hygiene (Prevents Refill)
- Use a masked or alias email for signups (DuckDuckGo Email Protection, Firefox Relay)
- Block third-party cookies and run an ad/tracker blocker like uBlock Origin
- Skip loyalty cards and free “surveys” that trade your data for a discount
- Put a reminder on the calendar every six months to re-run DROP and re-check the top brokers: removal isn't permanent
Quick Self-Check
| Question | If “yes” or “not sure”... |
|---|---|
| Have you ever searched your own name and found your address or phone number on a site you didn't sign up for? | Worth doing this today |
| Are you a California resident who hasn't submitted a DROP request yet? | Start there: it's free |
| Would you rather have someone else drive the process with you than do it alone? | Worth a call |
Let Us Walk You Through It
Bring your list, or let us build one. We'll sit with you (remotely or on-site across St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa Bay) and knock out the priority opt-outs together, or get you set up on an ongoing removal service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DROP only for California residents?
Yes. DROP is a California state program and only reaches brokers registered with California. If you live elsewhere, the manual broker-by-broker process still applies, though several other states are watching California's system and may build similar tools.
Is removing my data from brokers a one-time task?
No. Brokers rescrape public records and buy new data feeds, so listings tend to reappear within six to twelve months. Free removals need to be redone periodically, which is what paid services like DeleteMe or Incogni automate for you.
Can Bay Geeks remove my information for me?
Most broker and people-search opt-outs require you to verify the request yourself, usually by email or text, so we can't do it invisibly on your behalf. What we can do is sit with you, remotely or on-site, and work through the priority list together in one sitting instead of it dragging out over weeks.
How long until listings actually disappear?
It varies by site. Some people-search sites drop a listing within days, others take a few weeks. Brokers covered by DROP must check the platform at least every 45 days and then have up to another 45 days to complete the deletion, so a DROP-covered removal can take up to about 90 days.
The Takeaway
Start with DROP if you're in California: it's free and it's the highest-leverage move available. Then work down the DIY list at your own pace, or skip straight to a paid service if the idea of 100 opt-out forms makes your eyes glaze over. And if you'd rather have company for it, Bay Geeks will sit with you and get it done. Book a remote session, call 727-579-4335, or email support@baygeeks.com.
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