How do you remove personal information online?

To remove your personal information online, send opt-out requests to data brokers – companies like BeenVerified that collect personal information – to erase your data from their sites. Then, delete unused social media accounts and adjust the privacy settings on those you keep in order to limit public visibility.

You can even ask Google to remove certain personally identifiable information from search results. Plus, data removal services such as DeleteMe, Incogni, and Optery can scan data broker sites for your information and submit removal requests on your behalf. 

Ways to Remove Your Personal Information Online

1. Send opt-out requests to data brokers.

Data brokers are companies that collect and sell consumers’ personal information. Some examples include PeopleFinders, Spokeo, and Whitepages. These companies gather a consumer’s personal details, such as their email address, phone number, browsing history, and even their Social Security number, and sell the information without the consumer’s consent.

If you find your information on these sites, you will have to send a request to each company to remove your details. Instructions on how to send the request are typically located on the company’s website, on pages labeled “Delete Your Information” or “Privacy Request.” You may have to make requests once or twice a year since your information can end up back on these sites again.

2. Delete unused social media accounts.

If you have any social media accounts that you are not currently using, deleting those accounts lowers the chance of your personal information being exposed in a data breach. A data breach can put any personal information tied to the account at risk of being used for nefarious purposes like identity theft.  

For social media accounts that you are still using, you should adjust your privacy settings so that your information is not available to the public.

3. Ask Google to remove your information from search results.

Google has a tool called “Results About You,” which allows you to set up alerts so you can get notified when certain information about you, such as your address, phone number, and email address, appears on a page listed in Google’s search results. You can then request that the specific page be removed from Google’s search results.

It’s important to note that your information will still be on the page, as only the search result will be removed. To get your information removed from a website, you will need to send a request to the website’s owner. You should also note that Google won’t be able to remove links from its search results that are from government or educational websites, some business websites, or online newspapers.

4. Use data removal services.

There are data removal services, such as DeleteMe and Incogni, that can send removal requests on your behalf. These services can save you from having to manually send these requests to dozens of companies yourself, though they usually come with a fee.

Some states have enacted laws that make it easy for people to remove their information from data broker sites for free. For example, California has a website called the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which lets California residents send a single removal request to 500 registered data brokers. If data brokers don’t adhere to the request, they can be fined $200 per record per day.

Personal Information You Can Remove Online

The information you can have removed online includes your:

• Address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Social Security number
• Passport number
• Tax ID number
• Driver’s license number
• Pictures of your ID
• Pictures of your signature
• Resident ID number
• Bank and credit card account numbers
• Medical records
• Usernames and passwords

You cannot remove some public records, such as court documents, voter registration information, and documents that prove property ownership.  

Other Ways to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

In addition to getting your information removed from online sites, it’s a good idea to sign up for identity theft monitoring with a company like WalletHub. That way, you can get alerts if your personal information has been exposed.

For more information, check out WalletHub’s guide on how to protect yourself from identity theft and our picks for the best identity theft protection services.