Data Broker Opt-Out Guide

People-search sites are the public face of data brokers

Data brokers collect, buy, and resell personal information. People-search sites are the version most people meet: type a name, see an address, phone number, age range, and possible relatives.

That public profile is what Google indexes. Opting out of the broker is what makes the Google result worth cleaning up.

The FTC's two paths

The Federal Trade Commission describes two honest options: opt out yourself, site by site, for free, or pay a service to do the repeated work. Both paths can work. The difference is time, follow-up, and whether someone rechecks after the first confirmation email.

Before you pay anyone, including Unlisted, look for a clear scope: which public-search sources they handle, whether they show proof, and whether they monitor for reappearances. Broad 'delete me from the internet' claims are a warning sign.

Do-it-yourself opt-out checklist

Use this when the listing is a people-search or commercial broker page, not a government record.

1. Search the site for your name, phone number, or address and open the exact profile URL.
2. Look for Privacy, Opt out, Do not sell, Remove my information, or Suppression. If the page hides it, search the site name plus 'opt out'.
3. Submit only the details the form requires. Save the confirmation page or email.
4. Complete any email or identity verification step. Many requests stall here.
5. Recheck the live profile after the site's stated window, often one to four weeks.
6. If the profile is gone but Google still shows it, request a Google refresh for that URL.
7. Recheck monthly. A new feed can rebuild a similar listing under a slightly different URL.

California DROP and state-specific tools

If you are an eligible California resident, the state's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP) lets you send deletion requests to registered data brokers in one place. Broker processing under that system began in 2026. DROP is useful, but it is not a complete substitute for checking the people-search pages that already rank in Google.

Other states have privacy rights that may apply to some brokers and not others. Treat state tools as an extra path, not the only path, especially when the exposure you care about is a specific Google result.

Why opt-outs fail or come back

The common failure is not the form itself. It is a missed verification email, a profile that was a close-but-wrong person, a duplicate listing the first request did not cover, or a later data refresh that recreates the record.

The FTC also notes a harder limit: opting out of a people-search site does not remove the same facts from public records, and your details can still appear in a relative's or neighbor's report.

When Unlisted is the better use of time

Unlisted is built for people who want the Google-visible people-search layer handled without collecting a Social Security number or date of birth. We match listings with your name and address, submit eligible source opt-outs, then request Google refreshes after the source changes.

If you only have one stubborn page, doing it yourself can be enough. If a name search already returns a stack of address listings, the work is the follow-up loop, not the first form.

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FAQs