Before the internet, phonebooks let you look up the names, addresses, and phone numbers of just about anyone. But you had to be local to find that information. Nowadays that’s no longer the case. Anyone in the world can see where you live and what your phone number is plus your age, birthdate, email address, and other personal information—and it only takes a simple, fast Google search.
Google doesn’t share the details directly. Rather, it lists results from data broker sites that collect your data, then sell it. Sometimes you can even see select details in the search result teasers. While you may never share your personal information online, you could still be easily found. It’s all available on the regular web—a person hunting for you wouldn’t need to access the dark web.
Fortunately, Google now understands the security and privacy hazards of this scenario. Back in 2023, it rolled out a free tool called Results About You to help automate restoring your privacy. Through this feature, you can see if any Google search results exist for the phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, nicknames, and maiden names you’ve asked it to track. Recently, the company refreshed Results About You to simplify the sign-up process—making now an ideal time to get started with this proactive monitoring service.
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To get started, head to Results About You on a desktop or mobile browser. Alternatively, you can open the Google app on your phone, click on your profile icon, then choose Results About You. For the best experience, choose to activate notifications. Whenever Google finds results with your details, you’ll receive an alert through email or the Google mobile app.
You can now also directly request the removal of search results more easily. When you click on the three-dot menu next to a result, you’ll see Google’s updated interface. This lets users more quickly select the reason for removal and ask for a refresh of the engine so your info disappears faster.
Still, even when your personal details disappear from Google’s search results, they’re not actually gone from the web. You just make it harder for people to find them in bare seconds. To truly wipe the info, you must reach out to the data broker sites directly.
Don’t bother with their internal search features to find your record. They’re often slow as molasses. Instead, look for a Do Not Sell My Info or Opt Out link on a site. You’ll then either search for your record through the opt-out form, select it, then submit the request for deletion; or you’ll have to enter the URL to your record. Google’s Results About You findings come in handy here, as they often link directly to the specific URL for your info.
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Requests can take several business days to complete, so you must check to verify that your data was removed. However, you can reappear on these data broker sites even after you first remove yourself. In the U.S., these businesses collect details from public records, social media, online activity, businesses you do business with, and other sources. You cannot fully control this flow of data, and a major event could cause you to reappear in listings.
But you can stay wary of who you share information with—if it is ever sold or stolen, you have less to clean up and monitor. You can also enlist help to wipe your data from hundreds of data broker sites. Dedicated businesses have sprung up to help with removal requests. Some have dubious reputations (e.g., OneRep was outed as being run by an owner of multiple data broker sites), but more trustworthy companies exist. For example, security software companies like McAfee and Norton offer such a service as a feature, either as part of an antivirus subscription or a standalone product.
California residents also have some relief coming in the form of the Delete Act, which requires data broker companies to comply with a simple opt-out process. By August 2026, a single request should restore your privacy and eliminate the need to play continual whack-a-mole.
