Your info online · November 11, 2026 · By Robert

How to remove yourself from Whitepages, Spokeo and TruePeopleSearch

You can remove yourself from Whitepages, Spokeo and TruePeopleSearch for free. Each site has its own opt-out page, and each asks for one thing to prove it's you: a phone call for Whitepages, an email link for Spokeo and TruePeopleSearch. Below are the exact pages and clicks, plus the catch: listings can come back.

Before you start: these three are people search sites, the kind of data broker anyone can search. If that's new, start with what is a data broker. Keep a note of each profile link you remove so you can check it later.

How to remove yourself from Whitepages

1. Search your name and city on whitepages.com. On your listing, click View Details. Skip View Full Report, which goes to a paid checkout.
2. Copy the profile link from the address bar.
3. Go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests, paste the link and click Next.
4. Check the name and address, click Remove Me, and pick a reason.
5. Enter a phone number and tap Call now to verify. Answer the automated call and type in the code shown on screen.

OneRep's guide, updated April 2026, says it may take several days for the record to disappear (OneRep). Yes, you have to give a people search site a phone number to get off it. That's the trade.

How to remove yourself from Spokeo

1. Find your listing by typing a link like spokeo.com/First-Last/State/City with your full state and city names. Don't open the listing.
2. Right-click your name and copy the link. It ends in a long ID.
3. Go to spokeo.com/optout, paste the link, add an email address, finish the captcha and click Opt Out.
4. Open the email "Spokeo Directory Removal Confirmation" and click the link inside.

Spokeo says removal can take 2 to 3 days, though DuckDuckGo's guide says it's often gone within about an hour (DuckDuckGo). Each listing for you needs its own request, so check for old addresses too.

TruePeopleSearch removal, step by step

1. Go to truepeoplesearch.com/removal, enter your email, tick the box that says the record is you, finish the captcha and click Begin Removal.
2. Search your name and city or state, then click View Details on your listing.
3. Scroll to the bottom and click Remove This Record.
4. Open the email "Please complete your removal request" and click the link.

The confirmation page says the record should be gone within 72 hours, and you can send up to five requests from one email address (DuckDuckGo).

Why your listing comes back, and what we do about it

People search sites rebuild profiles from public records and from other brokers. The FTC says your info can reappear after an opt-out, so plan to search your name again every few months (FTC). In California, the free DROP tool sends one deletion request to every registered data broker at once.

Three sites is doable by hand. Hundreds isn't, and that's the part we pay for. Cloaked has secured 14,636 exposures on our account since June 2025, on sites like Radaris (13 exposures) and VeriPages (8). It still isn't fully hands-off: PeopleConnect needs one manual step from us, which clears 13 sites.

Don't pay a stranger to do this

Every opt-out above is free. An email or text that says you're "listed on Whitepages" and asks you to pay through a link to get removed is a red flag. Go to the opt-out pages yourself, by typing the address.

Common questions about people search opt-outs

Is it free to remove yourself from Whitepages?

Yes. The suppression request at whitepages.com/suppression-requests is free. Skip any button that says View Full Report, because that leads to a paid checkout, not the opt-out.

Why does Whitepages ask for my phone number?

It verifies the request with an automated call and a code you type in. If you'd rather not hand over your main number, that's a fair worry, and it's one reason some people pay a removal service instead.

How long does a Spokeo opt-out take?

Spokeo says removal can take 2 to 3 days after you click the link in its confirmation email. DuckDuckGo's guide says it's often gone within about an hour.

Will I show up again after opting out?

You can. People search sites rebuild listings from public records and other brokers, and the FTC says your info can reappear. Search your name again every few months.

Related: What is a data broker? · How to remove my address from Google search · Is Cloaked worth it?

Sources

• OneRep, Whitepages opt-out guide, updated April 28, 2026
• DuckDuckGo Help, Spokeo opt-out
• DuckDuckGo Help, TruePeopleSearch removal
• FTC Consumer Advice, What to know about people search sites that sell your information
• California Privacy Protection Agency, DROP
• Our own Cloaked account, data broker list and action items, checked October 20, 2026