Is this permanent — do I only have to do it once?

No. These sites re-scrape public records on their own schedule, so a listing can reappear anywhere from a few months to about a year later. Most privacy guides recommend re-checking every 3-6 months, same as this page.

What is Global Privacy Control (GPC), and does it help?

It's a browser signal (built into Brave and DuckDuckGo, available as a Firefox/Chrome setting or extension) that automatically tells a site "don't sell or share my data" without you filling out a form. Of the 30 sites on this page, VeriPages is the one confirmed to honor it automatically — everywhere else, you still need the manual opt-out below.

Do I need to pay a service like DeleteMe or Incogni instead of doing this myself?

Not to get the same result once. Paid services buy you two things this page doesn't: broader broker coverage (400-750+ sites vs. the 30 highest-traffic ones here) and recurring re-submission so you never have to remember to redo it. If you'd rather not hand your name, address, and date of birth to another data company to get this done, doing it yourself with this list costs nothing but time.

A different kind of exposure

Get yourself off 30 people-search sites

Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified and the rest aren't doing anything illegal — they aggregate public records (property, court, voter, marketing data) and sell the lookup. That's invasive, not malicious, which is exactly the distinction this site runs on. You can opt out of nearly all of them yourself, for free, today.

Before you start: three things that save real time

Use one email address for every opt-out on this page. Most sites confirm by emailed link, so a dedicated address (even a free one) keeps the confirmation emails out of your main inbox and makes it obvious later which sites you've already cleared.
If you use Brave, DuckDuckGo, or have Global Privacy Control enabled, you may already be automatically opted out of VeriPages (the one site on this list confirmed to honor the signal) — see the FAQ below.
Several of these sites share the same back-end company (PeopleConnect owns Intelius, US Search, Instant Checkmate, and ZabaSearch routes through the same suppression portal). Doing one of that family's opt-outs may cover the others — the table below flags which ones.

The list

Checked directly and cross-referenced against multiple current removal guides. Large people-search sites change their forms occasionally without notice — if a link below 404s, search "[site name] opt out" directly rather than assuming it's gone for good. A handful of entries are marked unverified time-to-effect where no source gave one; that's stated honestly rather than guessed.

Site	Opt-out link	Time to effect	Know this first
Whitepages	whitepages.com/suppression-requests	~72 hrs, sometimes under an hour	Requires phone verification (automated call reads a 4-digit code). Use the free "View Details" listing, not the paid "View Full Report" button.
Spokeo	spokeo.com/optout	24-48 hrs	Multiple profiles per person are common — each unique URL needs its own opt-out.
BeenVerified	beenverified.com/svc/optout	24-72 hrs	URL path changed in 2025 — if a bookmarked link fails, search fresh. Name-variant listings (maiden name, middle initial) are separate opt-outs.
MyLife	mylife.com/privacyrequest	1-2 weeks; recheck at 15 days	Deleting a MyLife account does NOT remove the public profile — this is a separate request. Historically the slowest/hardest of the thirty to get honored.
Radaris	No self-service opt-out currently exists	N/A	A New Jersey court transferred radaris.com and 13 related domains to Atlas Data Privacy Corp in August 2026 after Radaris ignored removal requests. Nothing to opt out of there right now — worth knowing rather than chasing a dead form.
Intelius	intelius.com/opt-out	3-7 days	Owned by PeopleConnect. Canceling a paid subscription does not remove your listing — that's a separate step.
TruePeopleSearch	truepeoplesearch.com/removal	Up to 72 hrs	Only removes the specific profile URL you submit — repeat for each listing you find.
FastPeopleSearch	fastpeoplesearch.com/removal	Often under 1 hr	A separate company from TruePeopleSearch despite the similar name — opting out of one does nothing for the other.
PeopleFinders	peoplefinders.com/opt-out	3-10 business days	Two-part form — a second emailed link opens a second form that isn't submitted until you finish it. The company calls removal a "courtesy," not a legal obligation.
Instant Checkmate	instantcheckmate.com/opt-out	Unverified — no SLA found	PeopleConnect family — the same suppression portal is reported to also cover TruthFinder, Intelius, and US Search.
Nuwber	nuwber.com/removal/link	5-7 days, up to 2 weeks at peak	Form-only — no email or phone alternative offered.
CheckPeople	checkpeople.com/opt-out	5-7 days	Removes only the CheckPeople listing, not the underlying source record it pulled from.
PeopleLooker	peoplelooker.com/f/optout	~24 hrs	Owned by BeenVerified's parent network.
US Search	suppression.peopleconnect.us	24-72 hrs	PeopleConnect's shared suppression portal — same family as Intelius and Instant Checkmate.
PeekYou	Footer link: "Do Not Sell My Personal Information"	~48 hrs stated; 5-10 days typical	Records can be re-added after removal, same as most sites here.
Acxiom	isapps.acxiom.com/optout	Up to 30 days	A different company from LiveRamp despite shared history — opting out of one does nothing for the other. Acxiom recommends repeating every 6-12 months.
ClustrMaps	Footer link: "Remove My Info"	24-72 hrs	Straightforward form, no phone step.
ThatsThem	thatsthem.com/optout	5-7 business days	Email fallback: [email protected] if the form fails.
Advanced Background Checks	Footer link: "Do Not Sell My Personal Information"	Sources disagree: company states up to 45 days, several report 72 hrs in practice	The only site here with a working phone opt-out confirmed by multiple sources: (877) 820-8126.
PublicRecordsNow	Search page → listing → "Opt out"	3-7 business days	Set the email subject field to "OPT ME OUT" exactly, per the site's own instructions.
USPhoneBook	Online form or (888) 747-4095	Unverified	One of the few sites here with a working phone alternative.
Spy Dialer	spydialer.com/consumers	Submission itself takes under 5 minutes	Shortest form of any site here — no email-verification loop.
CocoFinder	cocofinder.com/remove-my-info	Unverified	Smaller broker, thinner sourcing than the top-tier sites — treat process detail as lower-confidence.
ZabaSearch	Routes through suppression.peopleconnect.us	~7 days via the PeopleConnect flow	Requires going through the Intelius/PeopleConnect portal — not a separate direct form.
USA People Search	Footer link: "Do Not Sell My Personal Information"	Unverified	Thinner sourcing than the top-tier sites — flagged as lower-confidence.
VeriPages	Search by name/city → removal page	72 hrs	The one site here confirmed to honor Global Privacy Control automatically — see the FAQ.
FastBackgroundCheck	Official opt-out page (search "FastBackgroundCheck opt out")	~3 days	Two CAPTCHAs and two forms — more steps than most sites on this list.
SmartBackgroundChecks	Standard removal form (search "SmartBackgroundChecks opt out")	3-5 business days	Has a documented BBB escalation path if the form fails — screenshot your submission and dates.
CyberBackgroundChecks	cyberbackgroundchecks.com/removal	48 hrs	Re-listing cycle runs about 3-6 months — same cadence as MyLife.
SearchPeopleFree	Online form (search "SearchPeopleFree opt out")	24-72 hrs after email confirmation	Two-step email-then-search-confirm flow.

What to expect after you submit

Confirm via the emailed link every site sends — an opt-out almost never takes effect from the form alone. Then expect it to come back. Data brokers re-scrape public records on their own schedule, typically every few months to about a year, so this isn't a one-time chore; it's a recurring one, same as changing a smoke detector battery.

Cover: The Traveler's Counter-Surveillance Field Manual

The Field Manual — PDF edition

If a camera or tracker where you're physically staying is the bigger worry right now, that's a different problem — the Field Manual covers that. The complete system — every check on this site plus the ten-minute walkthrough, audio devices, your legal rights, and what to do if you find something. 47 printable pages, instant download, keep it on any device.

Skip and go straight to checkout

Keep going

The 90-second room sweepFour steps, no gear — the check to run when you arrive. Find hidden cameras in an AirbnbWhere devices actually hide, and the rules hosts must follow. Airbnb vs. Vrbo vs. Booking.comThree platforms, three different lines on indoor cameras — which one applies to your booking. The flashlight trickThe one free method that catches a camera even when it is off. The two-way mirror testWhy the fingernail trick doesn't work — and what does. Do detector apps work?What a controlled lab study found when 11 apps met real hidden cameras. Find a GPS tracker on a carThe 60-second check, plus the data your rental car keeps. Unknown AirTag alert?What the tracker warnings can and cannot do, and the manual check. Found something? Do thisThe order matters: don't touch it, cover your sightlines, document. Check a hotel room for hidden camerasDifferent risk than a rental, same 90 seconds — plus the housekeeping tell. Bugged? Here’s the honest answerAudio is a different problem than cameras — what actually finds a bug, and what can’t be found. Is a hidden camera illegal?The federal law, the state law, wiretap rules, and platform policy — in plain English. The Workplace Privacy ChecklistWhat your employer can actually see, and the 10-minute check that tells you where you stand. The Renter's Smart-Home Privacy ChecklistWhat landlord-installed smart locks and sensors can log, and the move-in check that tells you where you stand. Is your smart TV spying on you?What ACR tracking actually does, and the one setting that turns it off. Is your own camera exposed online?The two-minute check for a baby monitor or home camera you own — not one someone hid. Neighbor's camera pointed at your house?What you can ask for, what the law actually protects, and when it crosses a line. Is an AI notetaker recording your meetings?Zoom AI Companion, Otter, Fireflies, Granola — the signs it’s on, and the lawsuits now testing whether that’s legal. Who else can see your doorbell camera?Police requests, employee access, and what actually changed in 2024 — your own camera, not a hidden one. Does your car report your driving to your insurer?GM's finalized FTC settlement, the data brokers involved, and how to check your own car's settings. Does your neighborhood have a license-plate camera?What Flock-style cameras at a gate or entrance actually keep, the August 2026 retention change, and how to ask your HOA or building. Does Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant record you?The 2019 human-review stories for all three, what changed since, and the setting that actually limits it. Does your robot vacuum photograph your home?Where the images go, two documented cases, and the settings that actually limit it. Do smart toys record your child’s voice?Two documented breaches, and the four questions to ask before a connected toy goes in the toy box. Does your fitness tracker’s data belong to you?The insurance discount that wants it, and three real cases where it ended up in a courtroom instead.