Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Personal information removal
How to remove your personal information from the internet
The short answer
You cannot erase yourself from the internet, but you can remove much of what exposes you. Opt out of the people-search sites site by site, ask Google to drop results that show your contact details or ID numbers, use a deletion law where one covers you, close old accounts, and re-check every few months, because listings come back.
Checked on 18 Oct 2026 against the official pages listed in SourcesWritten by the Essentras editorial team
Essentras sells removal services. Every route on this page works without them.
Start here in 1 click
Pick what is exposed. Each button opens the free Essentras route finder at your situation, with the official link, the evidence to prepare, the honest odds and the letter to send. No email, no sign-up.
The plan: 8 steps to get your personal information off the internet
The order matters. Fix what you control first, then the sites that copy your details, then Google, which lists what the web shows. Each step links to the section with the details.
01Search yourself and make a listIn a private window, search your full name in quotes with your city, then your phone number and your email address. Note every page that shows your details, with its exact URL.
02Clean up what you controlDelete or edit your own old accounts, posts and profiles first. Google will not remove information you can remove yourself.
03Opt out of the biggest people-search operatorsStart with the companies that run many sites, using each company’s own opt-out page, and keep a log of the date and the confirmation.
04Ask Google to remove results with your detailsSet up Results about you for your phone numbers, addresses and email addresses, and use Google’s removal form for ID numbers, private records and doxxing.
05Use the deletion law that covers youCalifornia residents: send 1 DROP request to every registered data broker. EU, EEA and UK residents: send erasure requests under Article 17. Elsewhere, check your state’s privacy law.
06Update Google after a page changesWhen a site deletes your details, submit the exact result URL in Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool.
07Make what cannot be deleted uselessFor breached emails and passwords: change reused passwords, turn on 2-step verification and freeze your credit. For public records and news: correct them at the source, or push them down.
08Re-check on a scheduleRe-check at least every 4 months and after every move, new number or name change, because listings come back.
Checklist
I listed every page that shows my details, with its URL
I deleted or edited my own old accounts, posts and profiles
I opted out of the big people-search operators (use the tracker below)
Results about you is set up with every phone number, address and email I use
I used Google’s removal form for ID numbers, records or doxxing
I sent DROP (California) or erasure requests (EU, EEA or UK), if they apply
My passwords are changed, 2-step verification is on, and my credit is frozen if needed
My next re-check date is in my calendar
Where your data sits
Your information sits in 6 kinds of places, and each has its own way out
Most of what a stranger finds comes from people-search sites. The FTC describes them as data brokers that collect information from many sources, including property, voter and court records, compile it into reports and sell them. Knowing which kind of place shows your details tells you who can remove them.
Where it sits
What it shows
How it comes off
Who decides
People-search sites
Name, age, current and past addresses, phone numbers, relatives
Each site’s own opt-out, or a deletion law if it applies
The site
Marketing and risk data brokers
Profiles sold to marketers, lenders and screeners, usually not public pages
Each company’s privacy request page, or DROP in California
The company
Google and other search engines
Links to the pages that show your details
Results about you and Google’s removal form; the page itself stays online
Google, for Google only
Your own accounts, posts and old sites
Profiles, photos, posts, old usernames
Delete or edit them yourself
You
Public records and news
Property, court and voting records; news reports
Usually stays; correct or seal it at the source, or push it down
The agency, court or publisher
Data breaches
Email addresses, passwords and more, in leaked databases
Cannot be deleted; change passwords and lock your credit
Nobody: you limit the damage
Key facts, with sources
Most people-search sites let you opt out, 1 site at a time, for free. Opting out does not delete public records, and your details can still appear in relatives’ or neighbors’ reports.
California residents can send 1 free deletion request to over 600 registered data brokers through DROP; brokers must check it at least every 45 days from 1 Aug 2026.
Google’s Results about you finds results that show your phone number, home address or email. Google says over 10 million people had used it by Feb 2026.
Opt out of the biggest people-search operators first: some run 10 or more sites
A single opt-out can reach many sites when 1 company runs them. Spokeo says its opt-out covers its public sites except ThatsThem.com, and the company behind FastPeopleSearch says an opt-out of sale on any of its 10 sites applies to all of them. The table lists the largest operators by the requests they reported to California, the sites each says it runs and the page each named for privacy requests; tick each operator off in the tracker below.
Paste the URL of each listing and an email address, then confirm by email. Spokeo says requests are processed in 24 to 48 hours, that every listing must be opted out separately, and that information can reappear as new public records arrive. Its registration says this opt-out covers all public Spokeo sites except ThatsThem.com, which has its own page at thatsthem.com/optout.
Opt-out requests: 3,795,579 received, 3,785,787 met in full. Deletion requests: 8 received, 0 met in full, 8 in part.
The sites blocked our visit. Its registration says an opt-out of sale submitted on any of its 10 sites applies to all of them; check the site’s own page for the current removal steps.
Opt-out requests: 1,204,017 received, 993,412 met in full. Deletion requests: 0 received, 0 met in full.
The site blocked our visit. Its registration says you can opt out of the sale of certain information through the “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link in the footer or by phone at (888) 838-4803.
Opt-out requests: 433,773 received, 309,142 met in full. Deletion requests: 0 received, 0 met in full.
The site blocked our visit. Its registration says you can opt out of the sale of certain information through the “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link in the footer or by phone at (877) 838-4889.
Opt-out requests: 188,695 received, 141,866 met in full. Deletion requests: 631 received, 631 met in full.
Instant CheckmateInstant Checkmate LLC
InstantCheckmate.com, CellPhoneDirectory.com, Freepeople-search.com and others
The site now shows a notice that a New Jersey court transferred the domain to Atlas Data Privacy Corporation in a Daniel’s Law case (final judgment of 27 Aug 2026). There is no opt-out page to use there today.
An online privacy request form; U.S. consumers can also call +1-866-267-3861. Epsilon says an agent filing for someone needs written proof of authority.
Opt-out requests: 87,942 received, 87,942 met in full. Deletion requests: 4,985 received, 2,691 met in full.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions (records data)LexisNexis Risk Solutions FL Inc.
Records products for businesses and government, not a public profile site
Opt-outs from direct marketing and prescreened offers, and suppression requests from people whose safety is at risk, with documentation such as a protective order, a police report, or a letter from a shelter administrator or health care professional; it decides which documents qualify. Online, by mail or at 1-888-497-0011.
Opt-out requests: 33,167 received, 33,001 met in full. Deletion requests: 12,769 received, 12,692 met in full.
Most broker pages block automated visits, so we could not open them on 18 Oct 2026. Where that happened we link the page the company named in its own California registration and quote only what that registration says: check the broker’s page for its current process. Request counts are self-reported in each company’s 2026 registration and nobody audits them for this table. Opt-out counts can include automatic browser signals such as Global Privacy Control; at least 1 registered company says so in its own registration.
How a people-search opt-out works
1Find your listing on the site and copy its exact URL. Spokeo, for example, asks for the URL of each listing, and each listing must be opted out on its own.
2Open the opt-out or privacy page the company names (table above) and submit the URL or the details it asks for.
3Confirm by email when asked. Use an address you keep for privacy requests, not your main address.
4Expect an identity check. The FTC says opt-out processes may ask you to verify who you are; give only what the form requires.
5Write down the site, the date and the confirmation, then search the site again after a few days.
Never pay a people-search site to remove a listing. If a site demands payment for removal, Google’s policy on exploitative removal practices lets you ask Google to drop that result.
Track your opt-outs
Tick each site as you finish it. The date and a re-check date 4 months later are saved only in this browser.
On a shared or monitored device, print the list instead and clear the tracker.
Google
Google removes results that show your contact details or ID numbers, for free, but the page stays online
Google cannot delete a page, but it can stop showing results that expose your personal information. 3 free tools do most of the work.
Results about you
Finds results that show your phone number, home address or email and lets you request their removal. Google says you get a notification within a few hours when results match. ID numbers have been rolling out in the U.S. since Feb 2026.
Covers confidential ID numbers, bank and card numbers, images of your signature or ID, private records such as medical records, login details and doxxing, for any URL you submit.
Google will not remove information you can remove yourself, or information it treats as valuable to the public, such as pages owned by government or educational institutions or newspapers.
If a deletion law covers you, use it: California’s Delete Act (through DROP), the GDPR and the UK GDPR make companies act
Some laws make companies delete your data on request, with deadlines. If a law covers you, it is the strongest tool you have against data brokers, and it costs nothing to use.
Law or program
Who it covers
What you can ask
Deadline it states
Where to start
California Delete Act: DROP
California residents (you, or someone you file for with their permission, such as a child)
Deletion by every registered broker that matches you; brokers that cannot match you exactly must stop selling or sharing your data. 1 request reaches over 600 brokers
Brokers must check DROP at least every 45 days from 1 Aug 2026; status updates can take up to 90 days
1Confirm you are a California resident through the state’s identity gateway.
2Enter at least your name, date of birth and ZIP code; adding emails, phone numbers and device or vehicle IDs helps brokers match you.
3Submit, and save the 8-digit DROP ID: it is how you check status later.
4Check your status: Deleted, Exempted, Opted-out, Record not found or Pending. Update your profile after a move or a new number; updates are allowed once every 45 days.
Brokers may keep exempt data, including public records such as vehicle or real estate ownership and voting records. Information you gave a company directly is not covered by DROP; send that company its own privacy request.
If you live in the EU, EEA or UK
A company that made your data public must take reasonable steps to tell others processing it that you asked for erasure (Article 17(2)).
The right is not absolute: freedom of expression and information, legal obligations and legal claims are among the exceptions (Article 17(3)).
If a company does not act, it must tell you why and that you can complain to a supervisory authority (Article 12(4)). In the UK that is the ICO; the ICO says to complain to the company first.
The ICO notes its guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act.
Everywhere else in the U.S.
Consumer Reports wrote in August 2024 that no federal law gives Americans a right to opt out of people-search sites, which is why state laws and each site’s own opt-out matter.
Accounts and breaches
Delete old accounts yourself, and make breached emails and passwords useless
Some exposure only you can fix: the accounts you opened and what you posted. Some nobody can fix: once an email address or password leaks in a breach, it cannot be pulled back, so the goal is to make it worthless.
Accounts, posts and profiles you control
List the accounts you no longer use: search your inboxes for sign-up and verification emails, and check your password manager.
Delete each account in its settings, or ask support with the account deletion letter below. Google points to each platform’s own help center for removal and privacy.
Edit what stays: remove your phone number, home address and birth date from public profiles, and make old posts private.
Once a page is gone, use Refresh Outdated Content if Google still shows it.
Emails and passwords in data breaches
Check which breaches include your email address at Have I Been Pwned, and turn on its alerts for new breaches.
Change every password used on a breached site and anywhere you reused it, and turn on 2-step verification.
In the U.S., freeze your credit with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The FTC says a freeze is free to place and lift, and while it is on nobody can open new credit in your name.
To get your email address off ordinary web pages
Results about you covers search results that show your email address.
Ask the sites that publish it to delete it, and opt out of the people-search sites that list it.
Use a separate address or an alias for new sign-ups, so your main address stops spreading.
Google’s dark web report help page no longer exists: Google’s error page says it may have been deleted because the feature no longer exists (checked 18 Oct 2026). Breach checks and credit freezes are the practical routes.
Listings come back, so re-check at least every 4 months and after every move
Opting out is not permanent. People-search sites rebuild profiles from new records, so a clean search today can change after a move, a new number or a new public record.
New records keep arriving
Spokeo says it continually receives new and updated public records, so your information may reappear without notice.
Every listing is separate
A new listing with a new URL needs its own opt-out, even on a site you already cleared.
Public records change
The FTC says your information could reappear if your public records change, for example after a move.
Other people’s reports
Relatives’ and neighbors’ reports can still show you, and they are opted out separately.
Each new page is a new request
Google says Results about you checks for new matches regularly and notifies you when notifications are on, but every new page with your details needs its own removal request.
When to re-check
When
What to re-check
At least every 4 months
The people-search sites you cleared and your Google results. 4 months is the slowest rescan interval among the services we read (EasyOptOuts); Optery Core scans monthly.
After a move, a new number or email, or a name change
People-search sites, your Results about you details and, in California, your DROP profile
After a public record changes
People-search sites: a home purchase or sale, a court case or a new business filing can create new records
When Results about you alerts you
The new result: request removal, and ask the site to delete it
California residents
Your DROP status: registered brokers must re-check DROP at least every 45 days from 1 Aug 2026
What stays
Public records at the source, news reporting and other people’s reports usually stay online
Some information stays public by law or by editorial choice. Knowing the line saves time and money, and points you to the route that can still help.
Public records at the source
Property, court, vehicle and voting records stay at the county, court or agency. The FTC says opting out of people-search sites does not delete public records, and DROP lets brokers keep them as exempt data.
News reporting
Google may keep content that is newsworthy, and Results about you shows no Remove result option for newspaper pages. The publisher decides on an update or anonymization.
Government and educational pages
Google treats them as valuable to the public and offers no Remove result option for them in Results about you.
Other people’s reports
The FTC notes your details can still appear in the reports of your relatives, neighbors or associates after you opt out.
Data in breaches
Nobody can delete leaked emails and passwords from breach dumps. You can make them useless instead (see the section on breaches).
Copies elsewhere
Google says removed results can still be found through links, social media or other search engines. Each copy needs its own request.
What to do instead
Correct or seal at the source
Ask the court, agency or publisher. Sealing and expungement rules depend on where you live; a lawyer can say what applies.
Use a confidentiality program
If you are at risk, an address confidentiality program can keep a new address out of many public records.
Push it down
Accurate pages about you can outrank a result that has to stay public. Nothing is removed, and nobody controls Google’s rankings.
Doing it yourself is free; subscriptions automate broker opt-outs; Essentras handles cases beyond them
Subscription services automate broker opt-outs and re-checks for a yearly fee. Doing it yourself costs nothing and, in the only independent test we found, worked faster. A managed service fits when the problem is bigger than broker listings.
Route
Price as published (checked 18 Oct 2026)
What it covers
What it does not do
Best for
Do it yourself
$0, plus your time
Every site you write to, Google’s free tools and any deletion law that covers you
Nothing is automatic: you keep the list and re-check
A handful of listings, or anyone who wants to control exactly what is shared
Priced per case after a free scan. Google name removal $1,650 flat; 1 article $2,200 flat
A managed case: people-search listings, Google results, posts and articles, each worked through its official route, with a report of what came down and what stays
Cannot remove lawful news or public records at the source; Google, sites and brokers decide
More than broker listings, or when you want a person to handle it end to end
Prices are list prices on each provider’s own page on 18 Oct 2026. Promotions, taxes, currency and automatic renewals change what you pay, and site counts are each company’s own claim. Verify at the source before you buy.
What an independent test found
Consumer Reports tested 7 removal services against 13 people-search sites with 32 volunteers over 4 months (published 8 Aug 2024). Optery removed 68% and EasyOptOuts 65% of profiles after 4 months; Confidently removed 4% and ReputationDefender 6%. Manual opt-outs did better and faster: 70% gone within a week, against 0% to 58.7% in the first week for the services. The services and sites may have changed since 2024.
Before you pay any service, ask (the first 3 questions come from the FTC)
How many sites does it cover, and which ones?
Will it give you a report of the sites it opted you out of?
How often does it scan for new or returning listings?
What does it need from you, and who sees it?
A service files in your name only with your authorization. Some companies ask for written proof of it: Epsilon says so on its request page.
How to choose
A few listings and some time: do it yourself with the table and the tracker on this page.
A California resident: submit DROP first. It is free and reaches over 600 registered brokers.
Many listings and little time: a subscription saves the re-checks. Compare the site lists and ask the FTC’s questions first.
Results beyond broker profiles, such as articles, posts, doxxing or a whole name search: Essentras works them through Google’s and the sites’ official routes, priced per case after a free scan, or $1,650 flat for the Google results of a name.
Essentras removes personal information through lawful opt-outs, Google’s own removal tools and deletion laws where they apply, priced per case after a free scan; it charges $1,650 flat to work through the Google results for a name and $2,200 for 1 specific article, and Google, publishers and brokers make every decision.
If you are at risk
If you are being stalked, harassed or abused, put safety first
In immediate danger, call 911 in the U.S., 999 in the UK, or your local emergency number.
Removing information can help, but it is 1 part of a safety plan, not the plan. If someone is threatening you, consider talking to an advocate first, especially before you change things the other person could notice.
Free, confidential help
National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.)
Call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat online.
Many U.S. states run programs that give survivors of domestic and sexual violence and stalking a substitute address. California’s Safe at Home provides a substitute mailing address accepted by state, county and city agencies, and lets participants register as confidential voters.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions accepts requests to suppress records in its restricted public records products when your safety is at risk, with documentation such as a court protective order, a police report, or a letter from a shelter administrator or health care professional. It decides which documents qualify.
Google’s policies cover results that pair your details with threats or calls to harass you, and sexual images shared without consent. Report the page to the site and its host too.
The Hotline notes that internet use can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If your phone or computer may be watched, use a safer device. Any tracker on this page saves only in this browser, and you can clear it.
Replace everything in [square brackets], delete any line that is not true for you, and keep a copy of what you send.
Before you send anything
Use the company’s own opt-out page first; send a letter when there is none or it fails.
Give only the details needed to find your records. Never send full ID numbers by email.
Never claim a law or a right you do not have.
Keep a copy of each message, the date and any reference number.
Replace everything in [square brackets] and delete any line that is not true for you.
General templates, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm.
People-search opt-out by email
When to use it: For a people-search site with no working opt-out form. It also asks the company to cover the other sites it runs.
Opt-out request
Subject: Opt-out request: please remove my listing from [site]
Hello privacy team,
Please remove my listing at [exact listing URL] and keep my information out of future search results on [site].
If your company runs other people-search sites (for example [other sites your California data broker registration lists]), please apply this request to them too, or tell me how to opt out of each site.
To find my records: [full name and past names], [current and past city and state], [age or birth year, only if the listing shows it].
If you need to verify my identity, tell me exactly what you need and I will send only that.
Please confirm when the listing is removed.
[Full name]
The company names and sites in the table on this page come from each company’s own California registration.
Deletion and opt-out request under a U.S. state privacy law
When to use it: For a data broker or business, when a state privacy law gives you a deletion right. California residents can use DROP first and keep this letter for companies DROP does not cover.
Deletion request
Subject: Request to delete my personal information and stop its sale or sharing
To the privacy team at [company],
I live in [state]. Under [the privacy law of your state that gives a deletion right; leave this line out if you are not sure a law applies], I ask you to:
1. Delete the personal information you hold about me, and
2. Stop selling or sharing my personal information.
To match my records: [full name and variants], [current and past addresses], [phone numbers], [email addresses].
If you decline any part of this request, please tell me which part and why.
Please confirm in writing when it is done.
[Full name]
[Reply email]
Rights and deadlines differ by state. Check the company’s privacy page for the method it requires.
Erasure request under Article 17 (GDPR or UK GDPR)
When to use it: For EU, EEA and UK residents, to any company or site that holds or publishes your data.
Erasure request
Subject: Erasure request under Article 17 of the [GDPR / UK GDPR]
To the data protection officer at [organisation],
I ask you to erase the personal data you hold about me under Article 17 of the [GDPR / UK GDPR], including the data published at [URL, if any].
Data concerned: [name, home address, phone number, photo, other].
Grounds (keep those that apply): the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected for; I withdraw my consent; I object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds; the data has been processed unlawfully.
If you made this data public, please also take reasonable steps to tell others processing it that I have asked for erasure of any links to, or copies of, it.
Please reply within 1 month of receiving this request. If you refuse, please tell me which exemption you rely on and why.
I will provide proof of identity only as far as you need it to confirm this request.
[Full name]
[Address or reply email]
The ICO says UK organisations have 1 calendar month, extendable by up to 2 months, and should usually not charge. If there is no answer, complain to the organisation first, then to the ICO.
Account and data deletion request
When to use it: For an old account you cannot delete in its settings, or cannot log in to any more.
Account deletion
Subject: Please delete my account and personal data
Hello [company] support,
I no longer use the account registered to [email address or username]. Please close it and delete the personal data linked to it, including my profile, posts and contact details.
I cannot do this myself because [I no longer have access to the account / the settings do not offer deletion]. Please tell me how to confirm that the account is mine, through a secure route.
Please confirm when the account and data are deleted.
[Full name]
[Reply email]
Safety request to suppress your information
When to use it: For a data broker or records company, when your safety is at risk. Send only the documents the company’s own page asks for.
Safety suppression
Subject: Safety request: please suppress my personal information
To the privacy or compliance team at [company],
I ask you to suppress my personal information, including my home address and phone number, from your products and search results, because my safety is at risk.
[Keep what applies: I have a court protective order. / I have filed a police report. / An advocate at a domestic violence program supports this request.] I attach [the document your request page asks for], with details that are not needed for this request covered.
My records may appear under: [full name and past names], [cities].
Please confirm when the suppression is in place and whether it covers your other sites and products. Please contact me only at this email address.
[Full name]
[Reply email]
LexisNexis Risk Solutions lists a court protective order, a police report, or a letter from a shelter administrator or health care professional. An advocate can help you decide what to share.
Follow-up and escalation
When to use it: When a company has not confirmed your request after 1 to 2 weeks.
Follow-up
Subject: Follow-up: [original subject], sent [date]
Hello,
On [date] I asked you to [remove my listing / delete my personal information] ([URL or reference number]). I have not received a confirmation.
Please confirm the outcome, or tell me what you need from me.
[Keep only if a law applies to you: If I do not hear back, I will consider a complaint to (CalPrivacy / the ICO / the data protection authority where I live).]
[Full name]
California residents can complain to CalPrivacy; UK residents to the ICO, after complaining to the company.
FAQ
Removing personal information from the internet: FAQ
Can you completely remove yourself from the internet?▾
No. Public records, news reports and copies on other sites can stay online, and nobody can delete data leaked in breaches. What you can do is remove much of what strangers find first: people-search listings, Google results that show your contact details, old accounts and posts. Then keep it that way with re-checks, because listings come back.
How can I remove my personal information from the internet for free?▾
Opt out of each people-search site through its own page, use Google’s Results about you and removal form, and close old accounts yourself. California residents can use DROP to send 1 free deletion request to over 600 registered data brokers. In the EU, EEA and UK, an erasure request under Article 17 costs nothing to send. The cost is your time and the re-checks.
Do data removal services like Incogni, DeleteMe, EasyOptOuts and Optery work?▾
They reduce exposure, but none removes everything. In Consumer Reports’ 2024 test of 7 services, Optery removed 68% and EasyOptOuts 65% of profiles after 4 months, while manual opt-outs removed 70% within a week. Services save time on re-checks. They do not remove news, public records at the source or most Google results. Entry plans in our table ran from $19.99 to $129 a year on 18 Oct 2026.
Which people-search sites should I opt out of first?▾
Start with the operators that run several sites and handle the most requests. In the 2026 California registry, Spokeo (which also runs ThatsThem and AnyWho), PeopleWhiz, the FastPeopleSearch group (10 sites, including USPhoneBook), PeopleFinders, BeenVerified (including PeopleLooker and PeopleSmart), TruthFinder and TruePeopleSearch reported the most opt-out requests. Then CheckPeople, Intelius, FamilyTreeNow, Instant Checkmate, MyLife and Whitepages.
Why does my information keep coming back after I opt out?▾
People-search sites keep receiving new public records, and a new record can create a new listing with a new URL. The FTC adds that your details can reappear when your public records change, and can still show in relatives’ or neighbors’ reports. That makes opting out a routine, not a single errand: re-check at least every 4 months and after a move.
How long does it take to remove personal information?▾
It depends on who decides. Spokeo says its opt-outs are processed in 24 to 48 hours. Google says Results about you notifications arrive within a few hours and approved removals can take time to show. Under the GDPR a company has 1 month, extendable by 2. California’s DROP status updates can take up to 90 days. Many brokers state no timeline.
Can I remove my email address or data from the dark web?▾
Nobody can delete data that has leaked in a breach. Make it useless instead: change reused passwords, turn on 2-step verification, check breaches at Have I Been Pwned, and freeze your credit in the U.S. To get your email address off ordinary web pages, use Google’s Results about you for search results and ask the sites that publish it to delete it.
What is California’s DROP, and who can use it?▾
DROP, the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, is a free tool from CalPrivacy created under the Delete Act. California residents send 1 request that goes to over 600 registered data brokers. From 1 Aug 2026 brokers must check it at least every 45 days and delete matching data, except exempt data such as public records. You can file for someone else, such as a child, with their permission.
Does the GDPR let me make a company delete my data?▾
Yes, in the cases Article 17 lists: the data is no longer needed, you withdraw consent, you object and no overriding grounds exist, or it was processed unlawfully. Exceptions include freedom of expression and legal obligations. The company must answer within 1 month, extendable by 2. In the UK, the ICO says you can ask verbally or in writing, and complain to it if the company does not respond.
How much does Essentras charge to remove personal information?▾
Essentras prices personal information removal per case after a free scan, so you see the price before you pay. When results about your name go beyond personal details, it charges $1,650 flat to work through the Google results for a name and $2,200 for 1 specific article. Every route also works without Essentras, and nobody can promise what Google, a site or a broker will decide.
Optional extras
Optional: what people add after clearing their personal information
Optional
Often added
People who clear their personal information often want help with what else shows for their name. All optional.
Checked on 18 Oct 2026 against the official pages listed in Sources
We read each page below on 18 Oct 2026 and checked every fact on this page against it. Where a page states no timeline, we say so instead of guessing. Prices are as published that day.
What we could not verify, so this page does not rely on it
The opt-out steps of most people-search sites: Whitepages, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, PeopleFinders, PeopleWhiz, TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, MyLife, FamilyTreeNow and CheckPeople blocked our visit, so we link the page each named in its California registration and quote only that registration.
Nuwber’s site did not load for us; Nuwber is registered in California and reported 0 requests.
The price of Permission Slip Plus and of Onerep (the Onerep page blocked our visit).
Which countries Google’s right to be forgotten form lists: the form needs JavaScript.
The options on Microsoft’s Report a Concern page for Bing: the page needs JavaScript.
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General information, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm and is not affiliated with Google, any data broker or any government agency. Google, sites, brokers, publishers and courts decide every request; nobody can promise an outcome.
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