What you can actually remove, and what stays online

You cannot delete everything about yourself from the internet, but you can remove a lot of it. Search engines like Google will stop showing your name, address, phone number, or email in results if you ask them to. Websites that published your information can be asked to take it down. Data brokers — companies that collect and sell personal details — can be instructed to remove your profile. What you cannot do is erase information that someone else posted about you, or force a news site to delete an old article about a public event.

The difference matters because your effort goes where it actually works. Removing your information from Google's search results takes a few minutes and works when ready. Removing it from a data broker takes longer but stops new people from buying your details. Asking a website to delete information you posted yourself usually works within weeks. Asking someone else to delete what they posted about you rarely works unless you have a legal reason — like being a minor in a photo, or having your information published without consent.

Key Takeaways

  • Google will remove your home address, phone number, email, or ID number from search results if you submit a removal request through their search console, usually within days.
  • Data brokers like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified have removal pages where you can request your profile be deleted, though you may need to verify your identity.
  • Websites that published your information can be contacted directly and asked to remove it, and most will if you explain why — especially if it was posted without your consent.
  • Information posted by other people about you (social media posts, forum comments, news articles) cannot be removed unless you have a legal right to request it, like being a minor or a victim of harassment.
  • Removal is not permanent — your information may reappear if someone posts it again or a data broker recollects it, so you may need to repeat requests over time.

Removing your information from Google search results

Google Search Console is the fastest way to remove your personal information from Google's search results. Go to google.com/webmasters, sign in with your Google account, and select "Remove information" from the left menu. You can request removal of your home address, phone number, email address, national ID number, or bank account number. Google will remove it from search results within days, though the information may still exist on the original website.

This only works for information that appears in Google's search results — if your address is on a website but Google has not indexed it yet, you will not see it in search results anyway. If you find your information on a specific website and want it gone from Google, you can also ask Google to remove that single page from search results using the "Remove outdated content" tool in Search Console. This is faster than waiting for the website owner to delete it.

Requesting removal from data broker websites

Data brokers collect your information from public records, social media, and other sources, then sell access to it. The major ones are Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Intelius, and PeopleFinder. Each has its own removal process, usually found under "Privacy" or "Remove my information" on their website. You will typically need to verify your identity by email or phone before the removal goes through.

Removal usually takes one to three weeks. Some brokers will remove you permanently; others will remove you for a set period and then recollect your information later. If you see your profile reappear after six months or a year, you can request removal again. There is no single form that removes you from all brokers at once, so you will need to visit each site individually. If you want to avoid this work, some privacy services will do it for you, though they charge a fee.

Contacting websites directly to remove your information

If you posted your own information on a website — a forum, classifieds site, dating app, or social network — you can usually delete it yourself by logging in and using the delete or remove option. If you cannot find the delete button, look for a "Help" or "Contact Us" page and explain that you want your post removed. Most websites will delete your content within one to two weeks if you ask.

If someone else posted information about you on a website, contact the website's support team and explain why it should be removed. Include your name, the URL of the page, and why you want it taken down. Websites are more likely to remove information if it is false, if it violates their terms of service, if it includes your address or phone number posted without consent, or if it is being used to harass you. Provide evidence if you have it — screenshots, proof that you did not consent, or documentation of harassment.

Handling information posted by other people

If someone posted your photo, your location, or personal details on social media or a forum without your permission, you have limited options. You can ask the person directly to take it down. You can report it to the platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, etc.) and explain that it was posted without consent. Most platforms will remove it if it includes your address, phone number, or other sensitive information, or if it is being used to harass or threaten you.

If the post is a photo of you as a minor, or if it is being used for harassment or blackmail, you have stronger grounds for removal. Contact the platform's support team with evidence. If the platform refuses and the harassment continues, you may have legal options — contact a lawyer or your local police department. For old social media posts that are still showing up in Google search results, you can ask Google to remove the search result even if the original post is still on the platform.

Dealing with news articles and public records

News websites and public record databases (court records, property records, arrest records) are harder to remove information from because they serve a public interest. You cannot ask a newspaper to delete an article about you just because you want it gone. You can ask them to correct factual errors, or to remove information that is false or defamatory, but they are not required to delete accurate reporting.

Public records like property ownership, court cases, and arrest records are maintained by government agencies and cannot be deleted. Some states allow you to request that certain records be sealed or expunged — usually for juvenile offenses, dismissed charges, or cases that meet specific legal criteria. Contact your local court or district attorney's office to learn whether your situation qualifies. If you want old news articles to stop appearing in Google search results, you can request removal through Google Search Console, though the article itself will remain on the news site.

Protecting your information going forward

Once you have removed your information, you can make it harder for it to be collected again. Use privacy settings on social media to limit who can see your posts and profile. Do not post your phone number, address, or email on public websites unless necessary. When you sign up for websites, use a separate email address for each one so your main email is not linked to multiple accounts. Consider using a virtual phone number for online signups instead of your real number.

Be cautious about what you share in forums, comments sections, and public groups. Even if you delete a post, someone may have screenshotted it or archived it. Data brokers will continue to recollect information about you from public sources, so you may need to request removal periodically — every six months to a year. If you want ongoing protection, some privacy services monitor the internet for your information and request removal automatically, though these services charge a monthly fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove my information from Google Maps or Google My Business?

If you have a Google My Business account, you can delete it directly from your account settings. If someone else created a business listing with your address or phone number, you can claim the listing and remove it, or report it to Google as fraudulent. For your address appearing in Google Maps, use the "Report a problem" tool on the map itself.

What if a website ignores my removal request?

Send a follow-up email after two weeks. If they continue to ignore you, check whether the website is subject to privacy laws like GDPR (if you are in Europe) or CCPA (if you are in California) — these laws require removal in certain cases. You can also report the website to your state's attorney general or file a complaint with the FTC if the site is breaking privacy laws.

Will removing my information hurt my credit or background check?

No. Removing your information from data brokers and search results does not affect your credit report or official background checks. Those come from credit bureaus and background check companies, which are separate from public data brokers. Your credit report is maintained by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and you can dispute inaccurate information directly with them.

How do I remove my information from the dark web?

You cannot remove information from the dark web directly. If your information is being sold there, it usually came from a data breach. Monitor your accounts for fraud, change your passwords, and consider placing a fraud alert with the credit bureaus. Report the breach to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Removal services that claim to scrub the dark web are usually scams.

Do I need to pay for information removal?

No. You can remove your information from Google and data brokers for free by doing it yourself. Some data brokers make removal difficult to encourage you to pay for their "removal service," but the free removal option should work if you follow their process. Privacy services that remove information for you charge a fee, but they are optional — you can do the work yourself at no cost.