Data brokers are designed to collect data. If you are not careful, the act of opting out can inadvertently give them more of your personal information. Follow these operational security rules:
Use a Burner Email: Never use your primary email address. Create a free, dedicated alias (e.g., ProtonMail) solely for receiving broker verification links.
Never Pay: You are legally entitled to free removal. Never pay a data broker a "processing fee" to hide your profile.
Do Not Surrender New Data: If a form asks for your current address but the broker only has your past address on file, do not give them your current one. Only provide the exact data needed to locate the existing record.
Never Upload Unredacted ID: If a broker demands a driver's license for verification, redact (black out) your photo, ID number, and signature. Leave only your name, DOB, and address visible.
Navigate to: https://www.acxiom.com/optout/
Select consumer type (Individual).
Fill out the opt-out form using your burner email.
Submit the form and check your burner inbox.
Click the verification link to finalize the removal. (Processing takes up to 14 days).
Navigate to: https://optout.lexisnexis.com/
Read the prompts and click "Next."
Enter your primary identifiers (Name, Address) to locate your file.
Submit the opt-out request.
LexisNexis may require up to 30 days to process and suppress your identity node.
Go to whitepages.com and search your name and location.
Click on the matching profile.
Copy the URL of your profile from your browser's address bar.
Navigate to: whitepages.com/suppression-requests
Paste the copied URL into the submission box.
You will be required to verify via a phone call. (Use a VoIP or burner number if possible).
Navigate to: truepeoplesearch.com/removal
Enter your email address and name and complete the captcha. They will send a link to your email address that will take you to the opt-out form.
Click the link sent to your burner email. It may take some time to arrive. If you wait more than 24 hours to click this link you will need to request a new one.
Enter your information on the form. This should match the information on the record you want removed.
You will be taken to a confirmation page verifying that they received your request and it is being processed. You will also receive a confirmation email.
Go to spokeo.com and locate your specific profile.
Copy the URL of your profile from the address bar.
Navigate to: spokeo.com/optout
Paste the profile URL and enter your burner email.
Check your burner email inbox and click the final verification link.
Note: PeopleConnect is a massive aggregator that owns Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, and US Search. Completing this single suppression request will remove your data from all of those sites simultaneously.
Navigate to the hidden suppression center: suppression.peopleconnect.us/login
Enter your burner email address and click Continue.
Check your burner email inbox and click the verification link.
Enter your Date of Birth and Legal Name to locate your core record.
Select the matching record and click Continue.
Under the "Desired Behavior" dropdown, select Suppressed.
Click Save. Your profile is now hidden across their entire network of sites.
Note: Epsilon does not have a public search bar, but they are one of the largest behind-the-scenes aggregators that sell your data to other brokers and marketers.
Navigate to their consumer privacy portal: legal.epsilon.com/us/consumer-information
Scroll down and click the link for the Consumer Request Form.
Under "Request Type," select Do not sell my personal information / Opt-out.
Fill out the form using your burner email and the exact address you want suppressed.
Submit the request. Because Epsilon feeds offline marketing lists, it can take several weeks for the downstream effects of this opt-out to fully materialize.
Note: MyLife is notorious for extremely aggressive SEO and deceptive "Reputation Scores."
Go to mylife.com and search for your name and city.
Locate your specific profile in the search results. Do not click to open it.
Right-click on your name and select "Copy link address" (or "Copy link").
In a new tab, navigate to their hidden opt-out form: mylife.com/privacyrequest
Fill out the required fields (First Name, Last Name, State, Zip).
Paste the profile URL you copied into the "Enter the profile URL" box.
Enter your burner email, solve the CAPTCHA, and click "Opt Out."
Check your burner email for a confirmation link to finalize the removal.
The primary brokers listed above act as the main "Identity Nodes," but they feed data to hundreds of secondary websites. To view our complete, monitored index of over 200+ secondary databases and people-search engines, please visit our Coverage page.
While manual removal is possible for all of those secondary sites, our active subscribers have that entire process handled automatically every 120 days.
Data brokers routinely repopulate profiles by purchasing new public records. If you do not wish to manually monitor and repeat this process across hundreds of databases throughout the year, OptOutScout can handle it automatically.