Digital Safety DiscoTech: Make data deletion requests

Prepared by Samuel Mendez

Our Digital Safety Kit for Public Health helps public health professionals and students reduce the harm of online harassment and anti-science aggression. But we recognize that it can be hard to know where to start. And we know it can be hard to make time to act on our recommendations on your own. So, we’re offering this DIY Digital Safety DiscoTech guide to help you create community spaces for digital safety at your organization. This section provides information on making data deletion requests. See the full DIY Digital Safety Disoctech guide for more. 

Why should I make data deletion requests?

Popular online databases gather information from public records and data brokers into one convenient place. This makes it easy to find someone’s personal information, including home address, cell phone number, and family members. Make data deletion requests to remove your information from such online databases.

Where can I make data deletion requests?

You can make data deletion requests with online people finder databases like BeenVerified. You can also make data deletion requests with data brokers that collect and sell personal information, like Acxiom. Laws vary by state and type of broker or database. But generally these companies must honor your request. That does not mean they have to make it easy or quick. And that does not mean it is easy to even find the companies to begin with.

How do I make data deletion requests on data broker websites and people finder databases?

In most cases, you must first find your information online to be able to request its deletion. Some sites have a separate search tool for deletion requests. Some sites require email or phone verification. You can typically use a temporary or masked email in such cases. You can also create a Google Voice phone number, or other temporary/masked number service. This way you aren’t providing more personal information in the process of making a deletion request.

How do I make data deletion requests on social media or other websites?

If you find posts with your personal information on social media, you can report them. However, your results will depend on each platform’s terms of service and content moderation policies. In the case of a former employer/school website, you might reach out to a former manager, former professor, or HR contact directly. For other websites, you may have to contact the owner directly if you trust them to honor your request. A last-ditch effort in case of illegal content would be to reach out to the website host company or owner with the help of legal counsel. You can look up host information on websites like Whois.com.

How do I make data deletion requests on specific people finder sites?

Follow the instructions below to make data deletion requests on some prominent websites. Note: there are many more websites selling personal data than the ones listed below. The examples below illustrate what typical removal processes involve.

How do I make a data deletion request on WhitePages?

Follow the instructions on the Whitepages opt-out form. You must first find the profile page containing your information. The process includes entering a phone number to receive a single-use code. If possible, use a masked or temporary phone number.

There is an additional process for removing data from WhitePages Premium. Search for your information on Wh

How do I make a data deletion request on VeriPages?

Search for yourself on VeriPages.   Submit the URL in the Veripages optout form along with your full name and email. Use a masked email if possible.

How do I make a data deletion request on Public Data Check?

Go to Public Data Check’s website removal page. The process involves entering your full name, age, state, and email. Use a masked email if possible.

How do I make a data deletion request on Spokeo?

Follow the instructions on Spokeo’s page: How do I remove my information from Spokeo? It involves searching for your profile and entering the URL into a form. The process involves verification via email. Use a masked email if possible.

How do I make a data deletion request on Truthfinder?

Follow the instructions on Truthfinder’s page: How To Remove Your Personal Data From TruthFinder. To completely remove your data, you must also make a Suppression Request with PeopleConnect, which owns multiple people finder databases.