Step-by-Step Guide: How to Remove Your Personal Information from Intelius and Protect Your Privacy in 2026
In today‘s digital age, data brokers like Intelius make a business out of collecting and selling your personal information online, often without your consent. From your full name and birth date to your addresses, phone numbers, relatives, and even criminal records, an alarmingly detailed profile of you is just a quick search away for anyone willing to pay a small fee.
The risks of having your sensitive data so readily accessible are manifold – it enables fraud, identity theft, stalking, harassment, and jeopardizes your privacy and security overall. Opting out of Intelius is a crucial step towards taking back control of your digital footprint. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll walk you through the process of locating your Intelius profile and submitting an opt-out request to get your personal info removed.
How to Opt Out of Intelius: A Step-by-Step Breakdown
Removing your data from Intelius requires navigating through their opt-out procedure, which has several steps:
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First, go to Intelius.com and search for your name to locate your profile. You may need to refine the search with a city or state to find the right listing.
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Once you‘ve found your profile, scroll down to the very bottom of the Intelius homepage. Look for the link that says "Do not sell or share my personal information" and click on it. This will take you to the opt-out page.
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On the opt-out page, which is managed by Intelius‘ parent company PeopleConnect, click the "Manage my suppression rules" button to access the opt-out request form.
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Enter the email address that you want associated with your opt-out request. Be sure to use an email that you have access to, as you‘ll need to verify it in the next step. Check the box to agree to the terms and click "Continue."
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Open your email inbox and look for a message from Intelius. Click the "Verify email" button in the email, which will send you to the suppression page where you can complete your removal request. If you don‘t see the email, check your spam folder.
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On the suppression page, enter your date of birth, agree to the terms, and click "Continue." Intelius requires this information to process your opt-out.
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Next, fill in your full legal name – first, middle, and last. Confirm it is your legal name and click "Continue."
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From the list of records that appears, select the one that is yours and click "Continue."
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Finally, choose how you want to verify your identity for the opt-out, either by email or phone. Click "Request verification code," enter the code you receive, and your opt-out request will be processed. It may take up to 72 hours for your info to be removed.
Keep in mind, even after removing yourself from Intelius, your data likely exists on many other data broker sites across the web. Doing a Google search of your name can reveal how widespread the problem is. You‘ll need to go through a similar opt-out process on each site to fully protect your privacy, which can be extremely time-consuming to do manually.
How Data Removal Services Can Help
Because of how many data brokers exist and how quickly they can re-add your information even after opting out, you may want to enlist the help of a data removal service to stay on top of the problem. Companies like Incogni, DeleteMe, and HelloPrivacy specialize in removing personal data from the biggest data brokers and people-search sites, handling the opt-out process for you.
These services will scour data brokers‘ databases for your info and submit opt-out requests on your behalf to get it removed, doing the tedious work of filling out forms, tracking removals, and following up if your data re-appears. Many offer ongoing monitoring as well, to ensure your info stays off these sites over time.
Pricing for data removal services typically ranges from around $6-25 per month depending on the provider and whether you pay annually or monthly. While there is a cost, the convenience and time savings can be well worth it – and it‘s a small price to pay for protecting your sensitive personal data from falling into the wrong hands.
In addition to Intelius, popular data brokers and people-search sites to opt out of include BeenVerified, Instant Checkmate, Spokeo, Whitepages, PeopleFinders, PublicRecords360, and Radaris, among many others. Doing a Google search of your name along with terms like "opt out" or "remove info" can help you discover which sites are listing your data so you can request removal.
Why Removing Your Personal Data from Intelius and Other Data Brokers Matters
Having your personal information so easily accessible via data brokers poses serious risks to your privacy, security, and peace of mind. Here‘s why it‘s so important to opt out:
1. Prevent identity theft and fraud. With so much personal data available, criminals can use it to steal your identity, open accounts in your name, or scam you and your loved ones.
2. Avoid harassment and stalking. If an unstable ex, estranged family member, or anyone else wants to find you, data brokers give them an easy way to access your contact info and address.
3. Protect your professional reputation. Potential employers, clients, or business partners may look you up and find sensitive info that could hurt your career prospects.
4. Maintain control over your data. You should have a say in who can access your personal information. Opting out lets you take back your consent from data brokers profiting off your privacy.
5. Reduce spam and unwanted contact. Data brokers sell your information to marketers and advertisers, leading to spam emails, robocalls, junk mail, and other unwanted outreach.
Don‘t wait until your privacy is violated to take action. Be proactive in removing your personal data from Intelius and other data brokers, whether by going through the manual opt-out steps or using a professional data removal service. Reclaim your right to privacy and control over your digital footprint before your sensitive info gets in the wrong hands.