Removing personal information from the internet is usually a process rather than a single request. Some information can be removed directly from the website that published it. Other information may require an opt-out request, an account deletion, or a search-engine removal request.
First find what is exposed by searching your name, email addresses, phone number and usernames. Then remove information from the original websites where possible, opt out of data broker and people-search listings, manage eligible search results, and delete or secure old accounts. Recheck periodically because information can appear again.
What Personal Information Can Appear Online?
The information connected to you online can come from many different sources. Some of it may have been shared by you, while other information may have been published, collected or combined by third parties.
- Full names and name variations
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Home or previous addresses
- Social media profiles
- Usernames and account names
- Photos and publicly visible profile information
- Old forum posts, comments and websites
- People-search profiles and directory listings
- Information associated with data broker profiles
Where Your Personal Information May Be Found
Before removing anything, it helps to understand where the information is coming from. Different sources require different removal methods.
Search engines
Search engines can make personal information easier to discover. A search result is not necessarily the original source, however. Removing a result from a search engine and removing the information from the website hosting it are separate actions.
Data brokers
Data brokers may compile information from multiple sources and create profiles associated with individuals. These profiles can contain contact information and other details.
People-search sites
People-search websites can aggregate information from public records, directories and other sources into searchable profiles. These listings may expose names, locations, relatives, phone numbers or other details.
Social profiles
Public social-media profiles can reveal names, usernames, photos, workplaces, locations and other information. Older profiles can also remain visible even when you no longer actively use them.
Old accounts and websites
Forums, blogs, old accounts, comments and other websites can continue displaying information you shared years ago. Forgotten accounts are particularly easy to overlook during a privacy cleanup.
How to Find Your Personal Information Online
Start by searching for the information that is most closely associated with you. Use several variations rather than relying on one search.
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Search your full name.
Search your name in quotation marks and try common variations, initials, former names or combinations with a city, employer or other relevant detail.
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Search your email addresses.
Search current and older email addresses. An old address can remain connected to profiles, accounts, forum posts and other websites.
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Search your phone number.
Search your phone number using different formatting styles. Phone numbers can appear in directories, people-search profiles and other public listings.
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Search old usernames.
Using the same username across multiple websites can make older profiles easier to discover.
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Check social profiles.
View your profiles from a public or logged-out perspective where possible. Review information that strangers can see.
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Check people-search and data broker websites.
These sites may aggregate information from multiple sources and create searchable profiles.
Learn more about people-search sites and data broker removal.
How to Remove Information From Websites
When you find personal information on a website, start with the original source whenever possible. Look for a privacy policy, contact page, deletion request, opt-out form or other removal process.
If the information is connected to an account you control, deleting the account or changing its public visibility may reduce exposure.
If the website does not provide an obvious removal process, check its privacy documentation or contact the site owner. Keep a record of the request and the date you submitted it.
How to Opt Out of People-Search Sites
Many people-search websites provide an opt-out or removal process. Requirements differ between websites, so you may need to locate your profile first and then follow the site's verification instructions.
Removing one people-search listing does not necessarily remove your information from other websites. Search for additional listings after completing each removal request.
See our people-search sites guide for more information about how these services work.
How to Remove Information From Data Brokers
Data broker removal generally involves finding your profile, locating the company's opt-out process, submitting the required request and then checking whether the listing has disappeared.
Because different companies maintain different databases, removing your information from one data broker does not automatically remove it from every other source.
Our data broker removal guide explains the process in more detail.
How to Reduce Search-Engine Visibility
Search engines can make information much easier to discover, but a search result is not always the original source of the information.
If possible, first request removal from the website hosting the information. Depending on the type of information and the search engine, additional search-result removal options may also be available.
Removing a result from search does not necessarily delete the underlying page. Source removal and search-result removal are therefore separate steps.
Lock Down Your Social Profiles
Review the public visibility of your social-media profiles and remove information that you no longer want to share publicly.
Check profile details, old posts, photos, usernames, contact information and other information that strangers can see. Where appropriate, change privacy settings or delete information you no longer need.
Check Email and Phone Exposure
Email addresses and phone numbers can connect different parts of your online identity. They may appear in old accounts, directories, social profiles, forums, business listings or people-search databases.
Our email exposure guide and phone number exposure guide can help you review these areas separately.
Why Your Information May Appear Without You Realizing It
Information can spread online through old accounts, public profiles, directories, business listings, public records and commercial databases. You may have provided information years ago and forgotten that it was published.
Removing information from one location also does not necessarily remove it from every other source.
What Should You Do If You Find Your Information?
First, document where the information appears. Then look for the site's privacy or removal process. Many websites provide an opt-out or deletion request.
For information appearing across many data brokers, manually submitting requests can become time-consuming. This is where specialized personal-data removal services may be useful.
Learn more about data broker removal options if your information appears on multiple data broker or people-search websites.
Can You Remove Personal Information From the Internet?
Sometimes. The process depends on where the information appears, who controls it and which privacy rights apply to you.
Even after information is removed, copies or new listings may appear elsewhere. Privacy protection is therefore an ongoing process rather than a guaranteed one-time cleanup.
How to Reduce Future Online Exposure
Once you have cleaned up existing information, a few habits can help reduce future exposure.
- Review the privacy settings of important accounts.
- Delete old accounts you no longer need.
- Avoid publicly posting unnecessary contact information.
- Use different usernames where appropriate.
- Review what personal information appears on public profiles.
- Periodically search for your own information online.
- Keep a record of important removal requests.
Should You Remove Personal Information Yourself or Use a Service?
Manual removal can be appropriate when you have a limited number of listings and are comfortable managing the requests yourself. It gives you direct control over which websites you contact and what information you ask them to remove.
A privacy service may be useful when information appears across many sources or when you want ongoing monitoring and removal assistance. Before using one, compare what sources it covers, how often it checks for new listings, what removal process it uses and what the service actually promises.
Start With a Digital Footprint Check
Removing information is much easier when you first understand where it appears. A digital footprint check can help you identify names, identifiers, profiles, people-search listings and other publicly visible information that may need attention.
Start with our guide to checking your digital footprint, then use the individual privacy guides on this site to investigate the areas most relevant to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely remove my personal information from the internet?
Usually not completely. You can reduce a significant amount of public exposure by removing information from source websites, opting out of data broker and people-search listings, managing eligible search results, and deleting unnecessary accounts.
How do I remove my personal information from Google?
Google provides removal processes for certain types of personal information appearing in Search. Removing a Google result does not necessarily remove the information from the original website, so source removal may also be necessary.
How do I remove my information from data brokers?
Identify the relevant data broker listing, locate its privacy or opt-out process, submit the required request and verify that the listing has been removed. Some people use privacy services to manage multiple removal requests.
Does deleting social media remove my information from the internet?
Deleting or restricting an account can reduce exposure, but it does not guarantee that copies, screenshots, cached information, third-party references or previously collected data no longer exist.
Why does my personal information come back after I remove it?
Information can be collected again from public records, websites and other sources. Data broker profiles may also be rebuilt or updated, which is why periodic checking can be necessary.