How to Opt Out of PeopleFinders and Remove Your Info

Why You Should Opt Out of PeopleFinders

PeopleFinders is a popular data broker website that collects and publishes a wide range of personal information about individuals online, including:

Names and aliases
Current and past addresses
Phone numbers
Birthdates
Relatives and associates
Criminal and court records
Marriage and divorce records
And more

Having your private details easily accessible on PeopleFinders can put you at risk for issues like identity theft, stalking, harassment, and spam. Opting out helps safeguard your privacy and security.

How to Remove Your Info from PeopleFinders

Follow these steps to opt out of PeopleFinders and delete your personal information from their database:

1. Locate Your Listing

Go to PeopleFinders.com and search for your name. Enter your name, city, and state, then click the “Search” button.

Look through the results to find the listing that matches your identifying details.

2. Copy Your Profile URL

Once you’ve identified your listing, right-click on your name and select “Copy link address” to copy the direct URL to your profile.

3. Submit an Opt Out Request

Navigate to PeopleFinders’ opt out page at peoplefinders.com/opt-out.

Paste your profile URL into the “Personal Info Link” field. Enter a valid email address you have access to. We recommend using a disposable “burner” email to avoid getting spam (see below for more details).

Check the two agreement boxes and complete the CAPTCHA challenge. Click the “Send Request” button to submit your request.

4. Confirm Your Opt Out

Check your email inbox for a message from PeopleFinders with the subject line “PeopleFinders Opt Out Verification“. Open the email and click the link inside that says “Remove [Your Name] Profile“.

This will take you to a final confirmation page on PeopleFinders. Complete one last CAPTCHA challenge and click “Send Request” to finish the opt out.

According to PeopleFinders, your information should be removed from the site within 24-48 hours. In our tests, the removal process sometimes took up to 7 days to complete.

Tips for Opting Out

Use a burner email address when submitting opt out requests to avoid getting spammed. You can create a free temporary inbox using a service like Temp-Mail. Just make sure to complete the full removal process before the email expires.
Opting out of PeopleFinders will not remove you from Google search results right away. Deleted pages can remain cached by Google for a few weeks. You can expedite their removal using Google’s outdated content removal tool.
Be prepared to repeat this process every few months. Like many data brokers, PeopleFinders frequently updates their database with new information scraped from public records. Staying off the site requires constant vigilance and opt outs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take PeopleFinders to remove info?

PeopleFinders states that opt out requests are processed within 24-48 hours. However, in our experience, removals sometimes took up to 7 days to go into effect.

Can I opt out of PeopleFinders by phone?

Yes, you can initiate an opt out by calling PeopleFinders’ customer service at (800) 718-8997. They are available Monday-Friday 7am-6pm PST and Saturday-Sunday 7am-3:30pm PST.

How does PeopleFinders get personal information?

PeopleFinders aggregates personal data from public records, including:

Government records like birth certificates, marriage licenses, voter registrations, and property deeds
Court records including criminal convictions, traffic violations, lawsuits, and bankruptcies
Commercial sources like magazine subscriptions, online surveys, credit card applications, and social media profiles

Is it safe to give PeopleFinders my email address?

We recommend using a disposable “burner” email when opting out of PeopleFinders or any data broker site. This prevents your real inbox from being spammed or published online. You can get a free temporary email from a service like Temp-Mail or Guerrilla Mail.

What other sites should I opt out of?

Aside from PeopleFinders, you may want to remove your personal information from other popular data broker sites like:

Check out our other opt out guides for step-by-step instructions on removing yourself from these databases and more. You can also consider PeopleFinders alternatives that better protect user privacy.

Key Takeaways

PeopleFinders is a data broker that mines public records to publish personal information online
You can opt out of PeopleFinders for free by submitting a request through their official opt out page
The removal process typically takes 24 hours to 7 days to complete
Opting out only removes your info temporarily – you’ll need to check back and repeat the process regularly
Using a disposable email address for opt outs helps protect against spam
Removing yourself from other data brokers like Intelius and Whitepages can further reduce your online footprint

By following this guide, you can take an important step towards protecting your privacy and personal information from prying eyes online. Remember, staying off invasive databases like PeopleFinders is an ongoing process that requires consistency and persistence.

How to Opt Out of PeopleFinders and Remove Your Personal Information