How to remove your home address from the internet

Most people who find a home address online find it on a people-search site. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says these sites buy information from other data brokers, collect it from public social media profiles, and compile it from government records such as property records and voter registration. A person who has only your name or phone number can buy a report listing your current and previous addresses and the names and addresses of family members. Search engines then index many of these listing pages.

The FTC confirms that most people-search sites let you opt out, and that you can do it yourself for free, one site at a time.

1. 1.Search for your name and city on the site, including former names and past cities.
2. 2.Open each listing that is you and copy its web address (URL). One person can have several listings.
3. 3.Submit the listing on the site's opt-out page. Spokeo and Whitepages both ask for the listing's URL.
4. 4.Confirm by email if asked. Spokeo sends a confirmation link and requires each listing to be opted out individually.
5. 5.Note the date, then search again after a week or two to check that the listing is gone.

Use an email address you are comfortable sharing, because several sites confirm requests by email.

Google's Results about you tool lets you enter your name and contact details, review search results that contain them, and request removal. Google says it may approve requests to remove results showing your home address, phone number or email address. The tool is rolling out to adults in certain markets.

This changes what Google shows, not what the website publishes. Google states that the information still exists on the source page, so treat this as a second step after the opt-outs, not a replacement.

California residents can use the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which is free and run by the state. One request tells every registered data broker to delete your personal information. DROP launched on 1 January 2026, and brokers have been required to process requests since 1 August 2026. They must access DROP at least once every 45 days, and a status can take up to 90 days to appear.

DROP has a limit that matters for addresses. The state's guidance says brokers are not required to delete publicly available data, exempted data, or data you gave a business directly. An address taken from a public property record may therefore be kept, which is why site-by-site opt-outs are still worth doing.

If you are at risk, look for an address confidentiality program. California's Safe at Home program gives eligible people, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, a substitute mailing address that state and local agencies accept in place of a home address.

Opting out is not permanent. Spokeo states that because it continually receives new records, your information may reappear without notice. The FTC adds that your details may still appear in reports about relatives or neighbours, and that opting out does not delete anything from government public records.