Reviewed by Joe Chierotti, CEO, Defamation Defenders · Updated October 2026 · 9 min read
You can’t erase yourself completely, but you can remove most of what strangers find. Opt out of data broker and people-search sites, delete or lock down old accounts and social profiles, request removal of personal information and outdated pages from Google, and get harmful content like mugshots or old posts removed at the source. Then monitor, because data brokers re-list people regularly.
- People-search sites are the biggest source of your address, phone, and relatives online.
- Google’s “Results about you” tool can remove search results with your contact information.
- Delete accounts you no longer use; they can leak data.
- Removing content at the source is more permanent than removing it from Google.
- Monitoring and re-removal keep you off.
Table Of Content
Step 1: Find out what’s out there
- Search your name with your city, phone number, and email in a private window.
- Check Google Images.
- Search the major people-search sites.
- List old accounts: social media, forums, shopping sites, and dating apps.
Step 2: Remove yourself from data brokers
Each people-search site has its own opt-out, and most need email verification. Start with the biggest ones, then work down the list. Guides: Instant Checkmate, Radaris, FastPeopleSearch.
Step 3: Delete or lock down accounts
- Delete accounts you don’t use.
- Set remaining social profiles to private and remove your city, employer, and birthday.
- Remove old photos and tags you don’t want public.
- Remove your number from public profiles and directories.
IRMA removes your information from 70+ data brokers and people-search sites, monitors for re-listings, and re-removes you free. $49/month, cancel anytime.
Step 4: Remove results from Google
| Google tool | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Results about you | Search results showing your phone, email, or home address |
| Refresh Outdated Content | Pages that were removed or changed but still show in search |
| Personal content removal requests | Doxxing, non-consensual explicit images, and certain other personal content |
| Legal removal requests | Content that may violate the law, like defamation backed by a court order |
Step 5: Remove harmful content at the source
Mugshots, court listings, old articles, and negative posts need removal at the site that published them. See content removal, mugshot removal, and news article removal.
Step 6: Stay off
Data brokers refresh their records and often re-list people within months. Check every few months or use a monitoring service.
Scrubbing yourself off the internet: FAQs
Can I completely erase myself from the internet?
Not completely, but you can remove most personal information and harmful content people find.
How do I remove my address from Google?
Opt out of people-search sites and use Google’s Results about you tool for results showing your contact information.
How long does it take?
Opt-outs take days to weeks per site; monitoring is ongoing.
Is it worth paying a removal service?
If you’re listed on many sites, a service saves dozens of hours and handles re-listings.
Start with a free scan of where your personal information appears.
Start Removing My InfoCall 1-800-785-1749
Defamation Defenders is an online reputation management company, not a law firm. This article is general information, not legal advice.
