How to remove yourself from US Search
Like it or not, your personal information is online for anyone to find. This can include your full name, address, phone number, police record, employment information and more. People search sites scrape this information from public records, court records, social media and other sources.
Many sites exist solely to offer such services. You only need a small piece of information, such as a person’s phone number, and from there, you can locate more information on them. Tap or click here for our running list of people search sites with instructions for removal.
For this entry in our weekly Opt-Out Tuesday series on removing yourself from people search sites, we’ll show you how to remove yourself from US Search.
Avoid people search sites at all costs, especially if it costs you
Most of these sites are scammy in nature. You may think you’re paying for one report and have been roped into recurring charges. Don’t pay to remove your information from any site. This process must be provided for free, as seen in the steps below.
Do you have older relatives who may not know about these sites? While opting out yourself, why not do the same for them? Just type in their information as you would your own, and follow our steps to completion.
PSA: There’s an easier way
Below, I’ll give you the steps to remove yourself from US Search, but that’s just one of hundreds of such sites. If you want to remove them all in one go, check out Incogni.
Incogni does all that hard work for you. It took me three minutes to complete the sign-up process. Then, they get to work removing you from 180+ sites. After that initial setup, you don’t have to lift a finger. So great.
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Pioneering data broker
One of the earliest people search sites is US Search, launched in 1993. The site boasts that you can use it to access billions of records. Like many such sites, this one claims to help you “find long-lost friends and family members.” You can bet those aren’t the only types of people using these sites.
Overwhelmed with spam texts? Do this now
Ever replied to a spam message with STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE? If so, you’re setting yourself up for even more annoyance. You rightfully think that you’re ending the noise, but you’ll make it worse.
Why? Spammers are hitting up as many people as possible, searching for working contact information. When you interact, you’re saying, “Yes, this phone number belongs to someone!” That’s great news for them. It lets them know you’re a real person they should target more often.
Take back control of your online privacy
Newsflash: Your data is constantly being collected and sold. “Gee, thanks, Kim. I know,” you might be thinking. “What do I do about it?” Lucky for you, I spend a lot of time trying to answer that exact question.
If you’re tired of spam calls, unwanted emails and that nasty feeling of always being tracked, keep reading. I’ve got a simple way to take a massive chunk out of this data collection mess, thanks to our sponsor, Incogni.
Simple digital privacy step everyone should know about
Data brokers, people search sites and online background check services, oh my. At the end of the day, they all do the same thing — scoop up your personal info and sell it to anyone interested. Marketers are at the top of the list, but scammers can also find your information this way.
Opt-Out Tuesday: How to remove your info from FamilyTreeNow
People search sites collect your information from publicly available sources and offer it to anyone interested, including thieves and scammers. There are countless sites like this. So, how do you protect your data? You need to remove it.
Bad news: Here's how much your social media logins cost on the Dark Web
What if I told you for just $12, someone could buy your Instagram login. They could read all your messages, look through everything you’ve “liked” and even post as you.
Whizcase gathered prices from Dark Web marketplaces to see how much your online identity is worth, and it’s grim.
Best ways to block scam calls - And an easier way to stop scammers
When it comes to telemarketing and scam calls, the best thing to do is not pick up the phone. But it’s not always easy to tell whether an incoming call is legitimate — especially if your phone doesn’t show that scam or spam warning.
The best 3 minutes I spent on privacy in 2025
I know, big statement, right? But stay with me.
I’ve been talking about people search sites for years. Heck, I did a whole series of articles on how to remove yourself from them.
Your personal info is all over the internet - 3 ways to remove it
Whether you know it or not, your personal and private information is all over the internet. You don’t need to be active on social media or forums. Much information comes from publicly available sources such as court records and your online accounts (active or otherwise).
Removing your info from the web takes forever - Unless you do this
I’ve warned you about all the scummy sites that collect your personal details for years. I’ll never forget, not too long ago, when my son Ian asked about a house I lived at in my 20s. I couldn’t remember where it was.
Find out who's calling you from an unknown or blocked number
Scam and spam calls are getting more common. And they’re hard not to answer because the number comes up as “unknown.” When there’s no caller ID number, you can’t be sure if it’s a spam caller or an important call you’ve been waiting for.
I ticked off the creepy people-search sites, and you can, too
My son asked me where I lived for a few months in Los Angeles over 25 years ago. It was a gig working for Unisys that was far from memorable. He found that address at a free people search site, along with my other addresses and cell phone numbers. Nice.
5 ways to block or hide your number when making calls
Robocalls have been an annoyance for years, and with technology constantly advancing, it’s only going to get worse. And they’re not just interruptions these days. Many are calls from scammers looking to rip you off.
That’s why it’s important to be proactive and stop these calls dead in their tracks. You have several clever ways to keep scams and robocalls at bay. Tap or click here to stop robocalls for good. How are these callers getting ahold of your number in the first place?