You have three ways to remove your data from data broker websites: submit an opt-out request to each broker individually, pay an automated removal service to do it for you, or — if you’re a California resident — file a single deletion request through the state’s DELETE Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which reaches every registered broker in California at once. None of the three is permanent. Brokers continuously rebuild profiles from public records and commercial data, so removal is something you maintain, not something you finish.
If You Live in California, Start With DROP
California’s DELETE Act created a centralized deletion mechanism called the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform. It launched on January 1, 2026, and lets California residents submit a single verified request that reaches every data broker registered in the state. The California registry currently lists 566 brokers.1California Privacy Protection Agency. Data Broker Registry
The process has three steps: verify your California residency through a trusted partner, create a basic profile with whatever personal details you choose to share, and submit your request.2California Privacy Protection Agency. Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) Starting August 1, 2026, brokers must check DROP at least every 45 days and process pending deletion requests within 45 days of receipt. After your initial deletion, the broker has to keep deleting newly collected data about you on that same 45-day cycle unless you cancel.3California Legislative Information. SB 362 – Delete Act
If a broker can’t verify your identity well enough to delete your records, it must still treat the request as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of your data. Brokers also have to maintain a suppression list of everyone who has requested deletion, so if your data wasn’t in their system when you filed but shows up later, they’re obligated to delete it then.4California Privacy Protection Agency. Data Brokers
DROP only works for California residents. If you live elsewhere, some states with data broker registries (Oregon, for example, requires brokers to register and publish opt-out instructions5Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. Data Broker Registry) give you a useful list of who has your data, but you’ll still have to contact each broker directly.
Find Your Profiles Before You Ask for Removal
You can’t opt out of a listing you haven’t located. Search your full name in quotes on any major search engine, then add your city or state to narrow the results. Expect to see profiles on people-search sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, and Intelius. Repeat the search with name variations — maiden name, middle name, common misspellings — because brokers usually keep separate profiles for each.
When you find a profile, copy the URL of that specific listing page. Most opt-out forms ask for it. A simple spreadsheet tracking each broker’s name, the profile URL, the date you submitted your request, and any confirmation numbers becomes the tool you’ll rely on, because you’ll be revisiting these sites repeatedly.
How to Submit an Opt-Out Request
Each broker has its own form, but the workflow is similar. Look for a link at the bottom of the broker’s homepage labeled something like “Do Not Sell My Info,” “Opt-Out,” or “Privacy Rights Request.” On Spokeo, you navigate to the opt-out page, paste the URL of the listing you want removed, enter an email address for verification, and complete a CAPTCHA. Spokeo then sends a confirmation email with a link you have to click to finalize the request.6Spokeo. How Do I Remove My Information From Spokeo
That verification email is where most removal attempts fail. Nearly every broker sends one, and you usually need to act on it within 24 to 72 hours. If it lands in spam or you miss it, the request dies and you start over. Check your inbox and spam folder as soon as you submit.
The information you’ll typically need for each form:
- Full name, exactly as it appears on the broker’s listing
- Date of birth, matching the listing
- Current and past addresses, if the broker asks for them to locate your record
- An email address for verification
- The direct URL of your specific listing page
Some brokers also ask for a copy of a government-issued ID. If you provide one, redact your ID number, photo, and anything else beyond your name and address before uploading.
Under California law, businesses have 45 days to process a deletion request, with an optional 45-day extension if they notify you.7California Privacy Protection Agency. LOCKED Series: Right to Equal Treatment and Right to Delete Other state laws set similar timeframes. After that window closes, search your name on the broker’s site again to confirm the listing is actually gone.
Automated Removal Services
If submitting dozens or hundreds of opt-outs isn’t realistic for you, services like Incogni, DeleteMe, Optery, and Kanary submit requests on your behalf and periodically re-scan for reappearing listings. Subscriptions typically run from about $4 to $15 per month depending on the service and plan.
The results are uneven. A 2025 academic study of four major removal services found an average successful removal rate of 48.2% of identified records after 30 days. Performance varied significantly: Incogni achieved 76.6%, while Kanary managed 23.4%. The same study cited earlier research finding roughly 70% success for manual opt-outs versus 35% for automated services. Accuracy is a separate problem — only about 41% of the records the automated services retrieved were correctly linked to the right person, meaning they sometimes try to remove someone else’s records while missing yours.8arXiv. Measuring the Accuracy and Effectiveness of PII Removal Services
Automated services save real time and catch brokers you wouldn’t find on your own. They aren’t a substitute for checking the results yourself, and for the brokers you’ve specifically identified, doing the opt-out manually tends to work better.
The Legal Rights Behind Your Request
As of early 2026, twenty states have enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy laws. Most give residents the right to access personal data a company holds, request its deletion, and opt out of its sale for targeted advertising. Definitions, exemptions, and enforcement mechanisms vary state to state.
California’s Consumer Privacy Act is the most established. Residents can demand that a business delete all personal information it collected from them, and the business must also direct its service providers and any third parties it shared the data with to do the same. A separate provision lets consumers tell any business that sells their personal information to stop.9California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1798.105 – Consumers Right to Delete Businesses that violate these rules face civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, or $7,500 for intentional violations and those involving minors’ data.10California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1798.199.90 – Civil Penalties
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act also lets you see and dispute inaccurate information in your file at a consumer reporting agency, with a 30-day investigation deadline.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681i – Procedure in Case of Disputed Accuracy Its usefulness for data broker removal is limited, though: the FCRA only applies to agencies that produce consumer reports for credit, employment, or insurance purposes, and many people-search sites don’t meet that definition.
Keeping Your Data Off Broker Sites
Removing your data once isn’t a permanent fix. Brokers continuously harvest public records, buy new commercial datasets, and collect fresh digital activity. A profile you deleted three months ago can reappear as soon as the broker’s database refreshes. California’s DELETE Act builds this reality into the law by requiring brokers to re-process deletions every 45 days.3California Legislative Information. SB 362 – Delete Act
For ongoing monitoring, Google’s “Results About You” tool scans search results for your personal contact information — phone numbers, home addresses, and email addresses — and alerts you when new results appear. You can then request removal of those results directly through the tool.12Google. Remove My Private Info From Google Search Removing a Google result doesn’t delete the underlying data from the broker’s site, but it cuts off the most common way people find it.
You can also slow the flow of new data reaching brokers. Review the permissions on your mobile apps and revoke location access for anything that doesn’t genuinely need it. Opt out of loyalty programs that share purchase data with third parties. Use a secondary email address for online accounts so your primary one isn’t spread across dozens of broker databases. None of this makes you invisible, but it slows the rate at which removed profiles get rebuilt.