You cannot remove your address from the internet entirely, but you can remove it from the major data brokers that sell it
Your address is already in dozens of places online — property records, voter registration, court documents, old business listings — and you cannot delete public records. What you can do is remove your address from data broker websites, the companies that collect and resell personal information for profit. These sites make money by aggregating your address along with your phone number, email, and sometimes financial details, then selling access to marketers, scammers, and people looking to find you.
Removing your address from data brokers takes time because there is no single form. Each company has its own removal process, some require you to verify your identity by mail, and some will re-list your information months later if you do not opt out again. The fastest approach is to start with the largest brokers — Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, and Pipl — because they handle the most searches and sell to the most buyers.
Key Takeaways
- Data brokers like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Whitepages collect your address from public records and resell it; removing it from these sites reduces how easily strangers can find you.
- Each data broker has a different removal process — some let you opt out online, others require you to mail a notarized form or verify your identity through a third-party service.
- Removal is usually permanent, but some brokers re-list your information after six months to a year, so you may need to opt out again.
- Removing your address from data brokers does not affect public records like property deeds or court documents, which remain searchable through government websites.
- If you have a safety concern — stalking, domestic violence, or harassment — contact the data broker's abuse team directly rather than using the standard removal form.
The largest data brokers and how to remove your address from each
Spokeo is one of the most widely used people-search sites. To remove your address, go to spokeo.com/optout, enter your name and state, find your profile, and click "Remove this listing." Spokeo will ask you to verify your identity by entering the last four digits of your Social Security number or answering security questions. Once verified, your listing is removed, though Spokeo may re-add it if your information appears in a new public record.
BeenVerified operates similarly. Visit beenverified.com/optout, search for your name, and click the removal link on your profile. You will need to verify your identity through a third-party service called Intellicore, which asks for your Social Security number or driver's license number. Removal is permanent unless your information reappears in updated public records.
Whitepages (whitepages.com) lets you remove your listing by visiting their removal page, searching for your name, and clicking "Remove this listing." You will be asked to verify your identity, usually by email or by answering security questions. Some Whitepages listings are marked "private" rather than removed entirely, which hides them from public search but keeps them in the database.
Pipl (pipl.com) is a European-based aggregator that also operates in the United States. Go to pipl.com/about/remove and fill out their removal form with your name and email. Pipl will send you a verification link. Click it, and your profile is removed from their search results.
Other data brokers worth removing your address from
Beyond the four largest, dozens of smaller data brokers collect and resell your information. The most common ones include TruthFinder, MyLife, Intelius, and PeopleFinders. Each has its own removal process, usually found on a page labeled "Remove my information" or "Opt out" in the footer of their website.
If you want to remove your address from many brokers at once without doing each one individually, you can use a service like Optery or OneRep, which automates the removal process across dozens of sites. These services charge a monthly fee (usually $10 to $30) and handle the paperwork for you. They are most useful if you have privacy concerns or if you want ongoing monitoring — they can alert you if your information reappears on a data broker site.
You can also search for your name on Google and look for people-search results in the top 10 hits. Focus on removing your address from whichever sites appear most often in your search results, since those are the ones most people will find.
When you need to remove your address for safety reasons
If you are experiencing stalking, domestic violence, harassment, or other abuse, contact the data broker's abuse or safety team directly instead of using the standard removal form. Most major data brokers have a dedicated email or form for safety concerns and can remove your information faster and more thoroughly than the standard process.
Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Whitepages all have abuse reporting options on their websites. You may be asked to provide a police report number or a restraining order, but many will remove your information based on your statement alone. Some data brokers will also flag your account to prevent re-listing if your information reappears in public records.
If you have a restraining order or protective order, you can also contact your local courthouse or the agency that issued the order — many have programs to remove protected individuals from public records databases or to mark records as confidential.
Why your address keeps reappearing on data broker sites
Data brokers pull information from public sources: property records, voter registration, business filings, court documents, and old website archives. When you remove your address from a data broker, you are removing it from their database, but you are not removing it from the original public source. If that public record updates or if the data broker re-crawls public records, your address may reappear.
Some data brokers re-list removed information after six months to a year. This happens because they periodically refresh their data from public records and do not cross-reference their removal list. If your address reappears, you can opt out again. Some people set a calendar reminder to check their data broker listings once or twice a year.
If your address is tied to a property you own, you cannot remove it from property records without selling the property or moving. However, you can check whether your county assessor's website allows you to opt out of public display — some counties let you mark your property as "homestead" or "owner-occupied" to reduce visibility.
What you cannot remove and what you should do instead
You cannot remove your address from government records like property deeds, voter registration, court documents, or business filings. These are public by law, and data brokers pull from them. If you want to reduce how easily your address appears in searches, you have a few options that do not involve removal.
If you own property, check your county assessor's website to see whether you can opt out of the public property record display or mark your property as homestead. Some counties allow this; others do not. If you are registered to vote, you can usually request that your address be marked as confidential on the voter roll, though this varies by state — contact your local election office to ask.
For court documents, removal is usually not possible, but you can request that certain documents be sealed or redacted. This requires filing a motion with the court and is most common in cases involving minors, domestic violence, or sexual assault.
How to monitor whether your address stays removed
After you remove your address from a data broker, you can check periodically whether it has reappeared. The simplest way is to search your name on Google every few months and look for people-search results. If your address shows up again on a site you already removed it from, you can opt out a second time.
Alternatively, you can use a monitoring service like Google Alerts to notify you when your name appears online, though this will flag many results that are not data brokers. Paid services like Optery and OneRep include monitoring and will alert you if your information reappears on sites you have already removed it from.
If you removed your address for safety reasons and it reappears, contact the data broker's abuse team again. Document when you removed it and when it reappeared, and ask them to investigate why their removal flag did not prevent re-listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to provide my Social Security number to remove my address?
Most data brokers ask for the last four digits of your Social Security number or your driver's license number to verify your identity before removal. This is standard practice and is meant to prevent someone else from removing your listing. If a data broker asks for your full Social Security number, do not provide it — the last four digits are sufficient.
Will removing my address from data brokers affect my credit score or background checks?
No. Data brokers and credit bureaus are separate systems. Removing your address from Spokeo or BeenVerified does not affect your credit report or background checks run by employers or landlords. Those use different databases maintained by credit reporting agencies and background check companies.
How long does it take for my address to be removed?
Most data brokers remove your listing within one to two weeks after you verify your identity. Some process removals faster — within a few days. If you do not see your address removed after three weeks, contact the data broker's customer service to confirm the removal went through.
Can I remove my address from all data brokers at once?
No single form removes your address from all data brokers. You can use a paid service like Optery or OneRep to automate removal across dozens of sites, but you will still need to handle smaller or regional brokers individually. The largest brokers — Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, and Pipl — account for most people-search traffic, so starting with those four gives you the most benefit.
What if a data broker will not remove my address?
If a data broker refuses to remove your address after you have requested removal, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. You can also contact your state's attorney general's office. Some states have laws requiring data brokers to honor removal requests, and violations can result in fines.