Broker Removal Secria

How to opt out of data brokers

You can opt out yourself, free, one site at a time.1 If you live in California, one free DROP request goes to more than 600 registered data brokers.2

The opt-out checklist

One site at a time

Select a site for its opt-out page. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.

The opt-out checklist

Each site's own opt-out page, what it asks you for and how long it says removal takes. Search for yourself on each site first: Spokeo and Whitepages work from the link to your listing.3, 4

SiteWhat it showsOfficial opt-out pageWhat it asks forHow long it says
SpokeoPeople listings built from public records.3spokeo.com/optoutThe link to each listing, one at a time, and an email address to confirm.324 to 48 hours3
WhitepagesContact details such as phone numbers and addresses.4whitepages.com/suppression-requestsThe link to your listing, a reason, and a phone number for a verification call with a four-digit code.4, 5Not stated
TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, Intelius, US SearchOne tool from PeopleConnect covers all four.6Background reports. The tool hides yours from name searches only, not from phone, address or email reports.6suppression.peopleconnect.usAn email address, then the link in a verification email.6Not stated
ThatsThemLookups by name, address, phone and email.7thatsthem.com/optoutFull name, street address, city, state, ZIP code, email and phone.7Typically within 72 hours, with a confirmation email.7
MyLifeMember profiles and public profiles.8MyLife's Help section, or membersupport@mylife.comA removal request. MyLife says it will check that you own the profile and may contact you to confirm.8Within 45 days for privacy rights requests, extendable once by 45 days.8
AcxiomPersonal information it sells. The opt-out stops the sale, but Acxiom says it doesn't reach data already given to marketers.9acxiom.com/optoutA valid email address, to answer a confirmation email. Without one, you can call instead.9Processed within two weeks after you answer the confirmation email.9
LexisNexis Risk SolutionsPublic records products for credentialed business and government customers.10Opt-outs cover its direct marketing services, credit and insurance prescreen lists, and suppression for personal safety.10consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/optAn online form, a printed form by mail, or a call. Suppression requests go with supporting documents.10Not stated
RadarisA notice citing a court order. The site no longer shows people listings.11, 12Court order, no opt-out pageAtlas Data Privacy Corporation, whose notice is now on the site, says a New Jersey court entered a final default judgment on 27 August 2026 and transferred the domain to it. In September 2026 a lawyer for Radaris told KrebsOnSecurity they had moved to vacate the judgment.11, 12
PeekYouA notice.13Settled, no opt-out pageThe domain is now controlled by Atlas Data Privacy Corporation, which says its lawsuit against PeekYou was settled.13
 Opt-out pages and wording as read on 28 October 2026. Each opt-out covers that one site and doesn't delete your information from public records.1
What this list coversOnly sites whose opt-out page we could open and read on 28 October 2026. TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, BeenVerified, PeopleFinders, FamilyTreeNow and USPhoneBook blocked our reader that day, and Nuwber's site didn't load. All seven are in California's registry, so DROP reaches them.14

One company, many sites

These are the sites each company lists in its California registration. An opt-out on one site may not reach the others, so check each one you find.

Registered companySites it lists
Mississippi Tornado Alley, LLCFastPeopleSearch, USPhoneBook, SearchPeopleFree, SmartBackgroundChecks, CyberBackgroundChecks, AdvancedBackgroundChecks, FastBackgroundCheck, PeopleSearchNow, Phonebooks, USA-People-Search
BeenVerified, LLCBeenVerified, PeopleLooker, PeopleSmart, NeighborWho, Ownerly, NumberGuru, Bumper, ReversePhone and others
Intelius, LLCIntelius, US Search, ZabaSearch, PeopleFinder.com, Addresses.com, PublicRecords.com and others
Spokeo, Inc.Spokeo, ThatsThem, AnyWho, FreePeopleDirectory, PeopleWin, Family.me
TruthFinder, LLCTruthFinder, GetFullReport, BackgroundChecks.us and others
Instant Checkmate LLCInstant Checkmate, CellPhoneDirectory, FreePeople-Search, CheatersLie
Peoplefinders, LLCPeopleFinders, FindANeighborhood
Free Data Services, LLCTruePeopleSearch
 From California's 2026 data broker registry, last updated 29 July 2026.14

How California's DROP works

DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, is run by the California Privacy Protection Agency, known as CalPrivacy, and comes from the Delete Act, SB 362, signed on 10 October 2023.14, 15, 16 It opened on 1 January 2026 and brokers began processing requests on 1 August 2026.2

  1. Confirm you're a California resident through the California Identity Gateway.You don't need a Gateway account: type your details in, or sign in with Login.gov if you already use it.2
  2. Create your profile: name, date of birth and ZIP code are enough.You can add email addresses, phone numbers, mobile advertising IDs, connected TV IDs and vehicle identification numbers. CalPrivacy says the more you enter, the more likely your data will be deleted.17
  3. Submit the request and save your 8-digit DROP ID.You need it to check your status. Don't share it.17
  4. Check your status later: Deleted, Opted-out, Exempted, Record not found or Pending.CalPrivacy says it can take up to 90 days for a status to appear.17
What DROP doesn't deleteData you gave a business directly, data exempt by law, and publicly available data. If a broker can't match you exactly, it must stop selling or sharing your data.17

DROP or each site's opt-out?

They do different jobs, and Californians can use both.

DROP

One request to every registered broker, for California residents only. Brokers must delete the non-exempt personal information they hold about you, not just what you entered.2, 17

Free, and covers hundreds of brokers at once.

A site's own opt-out

Stops that one site selling your existing information. The FTC says your details can still appear in reports about relatives, neighbors or associates, and can reappear when your public records change.1

Free, one site at a time, and worth repeating.

State data broker registries

CalPrivacy says four states require data brokers to register: California, Oregon, Texas and Vermont.15 Each registry is public, and linked below.

StateRegistryLawWhat to know
CaliforniaCalPrivacy Data Broker Registry14Delete Act, SB 362, Chapter 709, Statutes of 202316603 brokers registered for 2026, with a downloadable file. Residents can use DROP.14
VermontSecretary of State Data Broker Search189 V.S.A. § 244619Brokers register each year by 31 January. A new version of the section takes effect on 1 January 2027.19
OregonDivision of Financial Regulation registry20House Bill 2052 (2023), ORS 646A.59320Required since 1 January 2024. Each broker writes a short note on how to opt out, which the division publishes.20
TexasSecretary of State Data Broker Registry21Business and Commerce Code, Chapter 51021The Secretary of State files registrations but doesn't investigate. Complaints about unregistered brokers or other violations go to the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.21
 Registries as read on 28 October 2026.

This page describes official tools and is not legal advice.

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Questions people ask

When do data brokers have to act on DROP requests?

From 1 August 2026, registered brokers must check DROP at least every 45 days. CalPrivacy says it could take up to 90 days to see a status, and that all brokers should have finished their first cycle by November 2026.2

Can I use DROP if I don't live in California?

No. You must be a California resident, which includes people domiciled in California who are away for a temporary purpose.17 Everyone else can use each site's own opt-out, which the FTC says most people-search sites offer,1 and look up brokers in the Vermont, Oregon and Texas registries.18, 20, 21

Does DROP remove me from TruePeopleSearch or FastPeopleSearch?

Both are in California's registry, TruePeopleSearch under Free Data Services, LLC and FastPeopleSearch under Mississippi Tornado Alley, LLC, so your DROP request reaches them.14 But CalPrivacy says DROP doesn't delete publicly available data, so also use each site's own opt-out for its public listings.17

Are data removal services worth it?

Consumer Reports found they save time, but in its 2024 test manual opt-outs were more effective and quicker than the seven services it tried.22 The FTC suggests checking a service's coverage, reports and how often it re-scans before paying.1

Sources 22
  1. What To Know About People Search Sites That Sell Your Information, Federal Trade Commission consumer advice, July 2022. consumer.ftc.gov refused our browser, so we read it through a fetch service and checked the wording against the Internet Archive copy of 6 September 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  2. Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy), undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  3. Opt Out Your Listing from Spokeo, Spokeo, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  4. Edit or Remove a personal listing, Whitepages Help Center, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  5. Opt-out of Whitepages, Whitepages, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  6. PeopleConnect Suppression Center, PeopleConnect, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  7. Opt Out, ThatsThem, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  8. MyLife Privacy Policy, MyLife, last updated 20 August 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  9. Opt Out Requests, Acxiom, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  10. Request an Opt-Out/Opt-In, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Disclosure, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  11. This Domain Has Been Transferred by Court Order, notice on radaris.com published by Atlas Data Privacy Corporation, citing Atlas Data Privacy Corp. v. Radaris.com, Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County, Docket No. MID-L-000847-24. Read 28 October 2026.
  12. Data Broker Radaris Loses Domains in Privacy Fight, KrebsOnSecurity, 16 September 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  13. Domain Update, notice on peekyou.com published by Atlas Data Privacy Corporation, citing Atlas Data Privacy Corp. v. PeekYou LLC, Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County, Docket No. ESX-L-003299-25. Read 28 October 2026.
  14. California Data Broker Registry, 2026 registry, last updated 29 July 2026, and its downloadable registration file, CalPrivacy. Read 28 October 2026.
  15. About DROP and the Delete Act, CalPrivacy, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  16. SB-362 Data broker registration: accessible deletion mechanism, bill status, California Legislative Information. Approved by the Governor and chaptered 10 October 2023 (Chapter 709, Statutes of 2023). leginfo.legislature.ca.gov refused our reader, so we read the Internet Archive copy of 8 May 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  17. How DROP works, CalPrivacy, undated. Read 28 October 2026.
  18. Data Broker Search, Vermont Secretary of State. Read 28 October 2026.
  19. 9 V.S.A. § 2446, Annual registration, Vermont General Assembly, version effective until 1 January 2027. Read 28 October 2026.
  20. Data Broker registry, Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. Read 28 October 2026.
  21. Data Brokers, Frequently Asked Questions for Data Brokers and the Registry of Registered Data Brokers, Texas Secretary of State. Read 28 October 2026.
  22. Consumer Reports evaluation of people-search site removal services finds that they are largely ineffective, Consumer Reports, 8 August 2024, on the report Data Defense: Evaluating People-Search Site Removal Services. Read 28 October 2026.

Every row comes from what the site itself publishes or from the state's registry, with news only where it is the only record. How we check