Data removal. Updated 2026-09-13. About 5 minutes to read.
Opt out of every Spokeo listing that matches you, click each confirmation email, and search Spokeo again every 90 days because new listings appear.
Spokeo is a US people-search site that publishes profiles built from public records, phone directories and marketing data. A basic listing can show your name, age, current and past addresses, phone numbers and relatives to anyone who searches, with more detail behind a paid report.
You can remove a Spokeo listing for free in about five minutes with only the listing's web address and an email address. You do not need an account and you do not need to show ID. The catch is that every duplicate listing needs its own request, and Spokeo can build a new profile later when fresh records arrive, so the job is not finished until you have checked again.
Spokeo does not hack anything. It aggregates records that are already public or sold commercially and joins them into one profile. Typical sources include property records, court records, business and professional licence records, voter files where a state releases them, phone and address directories, social media profiles and marketing databases.
The free search result usually shows your name, age range, the cities you have lived in and the names of relatives. The paid report adds full addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and more. Because Spokeo matches records by name and address, people who have moved or changed their name often have two or three separate listings.
In June 2012 Spokeo paid US$800,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it marketed profiles to employers and recruiters without following the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The case is why people-search sites now say their reports must not be used for hiring, renting or credit decisions.
The opt-out page on AnyWho now serves the same Spokeo form, so a removal submitted there is the same request. You do not need to do both.
Set a reminder to search Spokeo again every 90 days, and straight after you move, change your name or change your phone number. Keep a log of each listing address and the date you removed it. The free data broker opt-out tracker on this site does this for you and reminds you when a re-check is due.
If you live in California, you can also use the state's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, known as DROP, at privacy.ca.gov/drop. It sends one deletion request to every registered data broker, and since 1 August 2026 registered brokers must check it at least every 45 days.
Spokeo's records are overwhelmingly about US residents, so if you have never lived in the US you are unlikely to have a Spokeo listing. Your exposure sits with local sites instead. In Australia, you can ask any organisation covered by the Privacy Act 1988 for access to and correction of your personal information, and complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if it does not respond within a reasonable time. Residential White Pages removals go through your phone company.
In the UK, the UK GDPR gives you a right to erasure, and companies have one calendar month to respond. The Information Commissioner's Office handles complaints. Sites such as 192.com draw on the open electoral register, so opt out of that register through your council too. In Canada, PIPEDA sets the rules for private companies, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada takes complaints.
No. The opt-out is free and does not need an account, a subscription or ID. Ignore any site that charges you to remove a Spokeo listing unless you have chosen a paid removal service.
Most listings disappear within 48 hours of clicking the confirmation link, and the process normally completes within 72 hours. If a listing is still visible after a week, submit the opt-out again for that exact web address.
Spokeo keeps importing records. When new data arrives that does not match your earlier opt-out, for example a new address or phone number, it can create a fresh listing with a new web address. Search again every 90 days and opt out of any new listing.
The form only needs a listing address and an email, so it is technically possible, but you should only remove a listing with that person's permission. For an elderly parent or a young adult child, do it together and use an email address they can access.
No. Spokeo does not show people who has looked them up, and you cannot find out from the site who viewed your listing.