An independent, free guide · Public sources only · No people lookupsOur rules →
Osintian
Case file 05 · Remove Your Information

Take your own details back off the web

The full removal plan for your own data: Google's removal tools, data broker opt-outs with dated steps, old accounts, and the privacy laws that help.

Lawful purpose: removing your own personal information from search results and data broker sites.

Hands sign a printed form with a blue pen beside addressed envelopes, a roll of stamps and a stapler.
Exhibit 05 · Remove Your InformationSigned form, envelopes, a roll of stamps
01 · What it is

Remove Your Information, in plain words

People-search and data broker sites collect public records, marketing lists and old listings, then sell profiles that can show a home address, relatives and phone numbers. For most people this is the single biggest part of their exposure, and the part scammers and harassers lean on.

Osintian covers these sites in one way only: how to get your own record off them. We do not link to their search pages, we do not show how to look anyone up, and we accept no money from them.

Removal is slow, boring work, and it works. Each broker has its own form. Records can come back, so the plan includes a check every few months. Search engines add a second route: Google lets you ask for results that show your contact details to be removed.

02 · The steps

How a careful researcher does it

  1. 1Make a listSearch your own name and town, note every people-search listing about you, and save the address of each one.
  2. 2Opt out, one by oneUse each site's own opt-out form for your own record. Use a separate email address for opt-outs, and keep a log of the date and any reference number.
  3. 3Ask search engines tooUse Google's tools to request removal of results that show your phone number, home address or email.
  4. 4Check againSet a reminder for three months. Listings reappear when brokers buy fresh data, and the second pass is quicker.
03 · Is this lawful?

The purpose, the law, the line

Is this lawful and ethical?Read before you search
FineOpting your own record out of data broker sites
FineAsking search engines to remove your contact details
FineHelping a relative with their opt-outs, with their consent
The law that appliesCalifornia's CCPA gives residents the right to delete and to stop the sale of personal data, and several other US states have similar laws. In Europe and the UK, GDPR gives a right to erasure.
Not here, not everNever use people-search sites to look someone up
Not here, not everNever file an opt-out for another person without their consent
Laws differ by country and state, and this is not legal advice. The full rules are on our ethics and rules page.
04 · The guides

5 guides in this case file

  • 01
    How to remove personal information online: the full planSearch engines, brokers, old accounts, and the laws that help.
    In writing
  • 02
    Remove personal information from Google Search'Results about you' and the removal forms, step by step.
    In writing
  • 03
    SmartBackgroundChecks opt-out for your own recordDated steps. We never link to its search.
    In writing
  • 04
    411.com opt-out: remove your own listingDated steps for your own entry.
    In writing
  • 05
    Intelius opt-out: remove your own recordDated steps for your own record.
    In writing

Guides marked “In writing” are being researched and checked. Each one names its lawful purpose first and dates every tool it mentions.

05 · Sources

Official and primary sources

Osintian is not affiliated with any organisation listed here.

Other case files
A photographer's hands slide a memory card into a laptop card reader beside a camera and a printed harbour photograph.Case file 01Photo MetadataA tidy workbench seen from above: a closed laptop, a street map with three paper flags, a loupe, a magnifier, a notebook and index cards.Case file 02OSINT Tools and BasicsA man at a home desk writes a checklist in a notebook beside an open laptop and a cup of coffee.Case file 03Digital Footprint Self-CheckA woman at a kitchen table pauses over a text on her phone, a printed bank statement and an open laptop beside her.Case file 04Scam Texts and EmailsA researcher in a public records room lifts a heavy bound registry ledger from a metal shelf of grey archive boxes.Case file 06Company Checks