How to Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet

Your name, address, phone number and relatives are scattered across hundreds of data-broker sites, search results, breach dumps and forgotten accounts. This guide walks through exactly how to remove your personal information from the internet — for free — and how to find every place you're exposed in about a minute.

1. Find out where your information is exposed

You can't delete what you can't see. Most people are listed on 50+ data brokers and have dozens of forgotten accounts tied to their email. Start by mapping your exposure before you start deleting.

  • Run a free Footprint Finder scan to find every account and broker listing tied to your email.
  • Search Google for your full name in quotes plus your city, then your phone number and email.
  • Note every people-search site (Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, Radaris, MyLife) that shows your profile.

2. Opt out of data brokers

Data brokers are the biggest source of exposed personal information. Each one is legally required to remove you on request, but you have to opt out of each site individually — and they re-list you every 30–90 days.

  • Submit an opt-out request on each broker's removal page.
  • Keep a list — there are 100+ brokers and you'll need to recheck quarterly.
  • Use our per-broker guides at /remove-from for exact steps on each site.

3. Remove your info from Google search results

Even after a broker removes your listing, the old page can linger in Google. Google offers a 'Results about you' tool to request removal of pages that expose your contact info.

  • Use Google's 'Results about you' tool to request removal of pages showing your phone, address or email.
  • Request removal of outdated cached results once the source page is gone.

4. Delete old accounts you no longer use

Every dormant account is a future breach. Close the accounts you've forgotten about — each one stores personal data and login credentials that can leak.

  • Delete unused shopping, social and newsletter accounts.
  • Follow our step-by-step deletion guides at /delete for popular services.

5. Keep monitoring — removal is not one-and-done

Data brokers refresh their databases constantly, so your information reappears within a few months unless you keep checking. Ongoing monitoring is the only way to stay removed.

  • Re-scan and re-submit opt-outs every quarter.
  • Footprint Finder re-checks automatically every month so you don't have to.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove my personal information from the internet for free?

Yes. Data brokers are legally required to honor opt-out requests at no cost, and Google's 'Results about you' tool is free. The catch is time — doing it manually across 100+ brokers takes hours and must be repeated every quarter. Footprint Finder automates it.

How long does it take to remove my information from the internet?

Individual broker removals are usually processed within 7–30 days. Doing every major site manually takes a full afternoon, and because brokers re-list you every 30–90 days, it's an ongoing process rather than a one-time task.

Why does my information keep coming back online?

Data brokers continuously pull from public records, voter rolls and third-party sources, so your listing reappears 30–90 days after removal unless you actively monitor and re-submit opt-out requests.