How to Remove Your Info (8 Steps)

What is Whitepages?

Whitepages is a people search site and data broker. They offer fraud screening, lead verification, and identity and background checks to individuals and businesses.

Anyone can use this website to find information about others. The free version pulls up some basic information, while the premium version gives you a more detailed profile. Users can simply enter a name, phone number, or address, and get a wealth of personal data.

While this service can be a useful tool for finding information, it poses significant privacy risks.

What Personal Information Does Whitepages Have?

Whitepages has access to a huge amount of data. Currently, they have the largest database of contact info on Americans, covering about 90% of the population.

The data they collect includes:

• Criminal records, court cases, and other legal history, available through their background check service
• Contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses
• Social media profiles
• People likely related to you
• Financial records
• Property deeds

Related: Learn how to remove your court cases from Trellis Law.

Is Whitepages Legit?

Yes, Whitepages is a legitimate company that provides both free and premium search services.

Operating since 1997, this website is a go-to people lookup service. However, the fact that it makes sensitive information publicly available raises concerns about its impact on individual privacy.

This service is completely legal, and many other companies offer it as well, including FastPeopleSearch and NumLookUp. But, the way it aggregates and displays your personal data can make you feel exposed.

How Does Whitepages Get My Information?

Like many other people search sites, Whitepages collects your data from publicly available sources.

These include:

• Public records (such as court documents)
• Phone directories
• Social media profiles
• Property records
• Other online databases

To be clear, this website only collects information that is already publicly available. The problem is that they compile it all, make it easily searchable, and sell it to third parties.

Related: Keep your home address private by removing your listing from real estate sites.

Why Does Whitepages Collect My Information?

Whitepages – like every other data broker – collects your information to sell it to third parties for a profit.

Your data is valuable in today’s economy, and it seems like everyone wants a piece. Whitepages customers could include:

• individuals simply looking for contact information or to verify an unknown number
• businesses or landlords conducting background checks
• debt collectors to track individuals down
• insurance companies to verify claims and investigate fraud
• law enforcement agents for criminal investigations
• marketing companies to more effectively target ads

Why You Should Remove Your Info From Whitepages

Having your personal information available on sites like White pages is a risk. Some people might be okay with that risk. However, here are a few reasons to remove your Whitepages info:

• Identity theft: Exposing your contact and financial information can make it easier for criminals to impersonate you.
• Fraud: Fraudsters could use your data for various schemes, putting you at risk of financial and personal harm.
• Unwanted attention: The availability of your phone number and address means telemarketers, spammers, and stalkers can easily find you.
• Doxxing: Malicious individuals can expose your personal information publicly, putting your safety at risk.

How Does Whitepages Premium Work?

Whitepages Premium is a paid service that offers more detailed information than what’s available through the free version. Users can either pay per premium listing or subscribe for an unlimited monthly plan. With a premium subscription, users can unlock full background reports, which include criminal and financial histories.

When you opt out of this service, you’ll have to do it twice – once for the free profile and once for the premium profile.

How to Opt Out of Whitepages (Step-By-Step)

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to remove your information from Whitepages:

1: Search yourself

Visit the Whitepages website to start your search. Here, you have three options:

1. Conduct a basic people search by entering a name, along with City, State, or Zip Code.
2. A reverse phone search, where you just need to enter a home or cell phone number.
3. A reverse address search, where you can enter the street address, along with City, State, or Zip Code.

Since you’re searching for yourself, go with option one to find any listings associated with your name. If you can’t find your profile, try the other options, as well as entering any common misspellings of your name.

2: Find your listing

Now, you should find at least two listings for yourself. The premium listing will appear first, and the free listing will appear underneath. You need to submit an opt out request for each.

To get the URL, click “View Full Report” on the premium listing and “View Details” on the free listing.

3: Copy the URL

Once you open your profiles, copy each URL and paste it into a document. You will need these for the Whitepages opt out form.

4: Paste the URL into the Whitepages Suppression Request Form

Next, visit the Whitepages suppression request page. Pick one of your URLs, paste it into the form, and proceed to the next steps. At the end, you will come back to this step and repeat the process for the other URL.

5: Verify your information

Next, you need to verify your information by confirming your details. You should see a message that says “Is this the person you want to remove?” Carefully review your information, and then click “Remove Me”.

6: Give the reason for your removal request

White pages will ask for a reason for your removal request.

Select either:

• My profile information is incorrect
• I am receiving spam calls and junk mailings
• I am being harassed or stalked by someone
• I just want to keep my information private

Optionally, you can also leave a comment. After that, click “Next” to continue your opt out request.

7: Verify your identity

Next, you will need to verify your identity with a phone call. Enter your phone number into the form, check the confirmation box, and click “Call Now to Verify”.

Make sure you have your phone on during this step, as the call will come immediately.

After clicking “Call Now to Verify”, you should see a new page with a verification code. On the phone, an automated message will ask you to enter this code. After entering the code, the automated message will tell you your request has been accepted.

8: Repeat the process for the other profile

Remember, you have to do this process twice for each of your listings. At this point, go back to step 4 and follow the instructions for your other URL.

It typically takes White Pages about 24 hours to remove your information. Check back after a day or so to ensure that you no longer see your profile.

If your profile still appears, visit the Whitepages support page. Select “I need help to edit or remove a listing”, and fill out the form.

Conclusion: Contact Reputation911 for Whitepages Removal

Taking control of your personal information is a challenge in today’s world. But, removing your details from Whitepages is a great start. By following these steps, you can reduce the amount of personal data available for anyone to see.

However, removing your data from people search sites can be a time-consuming and ongoing process.

At Reputation911, we specialize in privacy and reputation management. If you’re struggling to safeguard your information, our Internet Privacy Team can help.