Personal Information Removal Service
If you found an automated data broker removal service like DeleteMe or Incogni, those tools handle one specific problem: opt-outs from people-search aggregators like Spokeo and Whitepages. They do not—and cannot—remove complaint posts, court records, news articles, intimate images, or other harmful content that ranks for your name.
Erase.com handles the content that automated tools cannot reach. We identify what is ranking for your name, pursue removal from the source, and clean up the search result. You only pay after results are confirmed.
The three types of personal information in search results—and why they need different approaches
Not all personal information in search results is the same, and the approach that works for one type often does nothing for the others. Knowing which type you are dealing with is the first step.
The first type is data broker profiles. Sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Intelius, and hundreds of similar platforms aggregate publicly available data—address history, phone numbers, relatives, estimated income—into searchable profiles that rank for name searches. These are removed through opt-out requests to each database. California’s DROP platform now allows a single submission to 500+ data brokers for California residents. But data brokers regularly re-add information as they pull from new sources, so removal requires ongoing maintenance, not a one-time action.
The second type is content-based harmful information: complaint posts, court records, news articles, mugshot listings, and intimate images that contain your personal details and are ranking in Google for your name. They cannot be addressed by data broker tools. They require an online content removal service—formal requests to the specific site hosting the content, legal grounds where applicable, and Google deindexing when source removal is not achieved.
Missing content
What DeleteMe and Incogni cannot remove
Automated opt-out services remove people-search profiles. They have no process for complaint posts, court records, intimate images, or news articles.
Results about you
Addresses and contact details
Google’s tool can remove home addresses, phone numbers, and similar personal details appearing in Google search snippets—independent of where they are hosted.
California DROP
500+ data brokers in one request
California residents can use the state’s DROP platform to submit a single data broker removal request to 500+ brokers. Does not cover harmful content removal.
The third type is Google-specific: personal information that appears in Google search snippets directly—your address showing in a search result description, your phone number in a knowledge panel, your email in an indexed page. This can be addressed through Google’s results-about-you tool, which covers addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, login credentials, and financial account details. Non-consensual intimate images have a separate, dedicated removal process through Google.
Our content removal service handles all three types and assesses which applies to your situation. The services below address specific sub-categories. Where multiple types of personal information are appearing for your name, we assess the full picture before determining the priority order.
Why automated tools don't solve the real problem
Automated data broker removal services are effective at what they do: submitting opt-out requests to people-search aggregators. If your only concern is having your address and phone number removed from Spokeo and similar sites, these tools work. The problem is that most people facing serious harm from personal information in search results are not dealing with a Spokeo profile. They are dealing with a complaint post that ranks when someone searches their name before a job interview, or an old arrest record on Justia, or leaked intimate images.
Data brokers also re-add information regularly. Opt-out requests from automated services have a limited lifespan—data brokers pull from new sources, new brokers emerge, and previously removed information reappears. This is not a failure of the service; it is the nature of how data broker databases work. It means removal from data brokers is not a one-time event but an ongoing subscription, and even with ongoing service, the profile is managed but not permanently gone.
Content removal is different. A complaint post removed from its source is gone from that source. A court record removed from Justia does not automatically come back. Google deindexing of a specific URL clears that URL from Google results. The work is harder and more expensive on a per-item basis, but the outcome is durable in a way that data broker opt-outs are not.
Automated tools can't reach harmful content
DeleteMe, Incogni, and similar services have no process for complaint posts, court records, intimate images, or news articles. These require direct removal requests to the hosting site.
Data broker profiles reappear
Data brokers re-add information as they pull from new data sources. Removal is temporary without ongoing maintenance. This is structural, not exceptional.
Content removal outcomes are durable
A removed complaint post stays removed. A deindexed court record does not automatically reindex. Content removal is more effort per item but produces more lasting results.
Where your personal information may be appearing online
Personal information can appear across several categories of sites. The right removal approach depends on the content type and where it is published.
Personal information (addresses, phone numbers, contact details) appearing in Google results—addressed through Google’s results-about-you tool. For content-based results, source removal and deindexing apply.
Court records published by third-party legal sites like Justia, UniCourt, and CourtListener — each with its own removal process. Criminal records with dismissed or expunged charges have the strongest grounds.
Articles reporting personal details that rank for your name — arrest stories, business disputes, personal profiles. Publisher outreach and Google deindexing.
Mugshot aggregator sites that publish arrest records with name, date, and charges. Each site has its own removal process.
Complaint posts on sites like Ripoff Report or Gripeo that include personal or business information. Source removal or Google deindexing depending on the site.
Private images shared without consent. Google has a dedicated NCII removal process. Source removal from third-party hosts and StopNCII enrollment to prevent re-uploads.
Not sure where your information is coming from? We identify what is ranking for your name before any work starts. You pay only for results we achieve.
How personal information removal works
Audit
We identify every source where your personal information is appearing—complaint sites, court record databases, news articles, mugshot sites, data broker profiles, and platform content—and assess what removal paths are available for each. We distinguish between the three types (data broker, content-based, Google-specific) so the approach is matched to the actual problem.
Remove
We pursue source removal from each site through the appropriate channel: formal removal requests to third-party sites, DMCA notices for copyright-infringing content, NCII removal for intimate images, and Google deindexing requests after source removal is confirmed. For content that cannot be removed at source, we pursue deindexing directly.
Repair
Repair for personal information removal is primarily about establishing a controlled digital footprint—not about displacing a specific piece of negative content. The goal is to ensure that when someone searches your name, they find content you control. This controlled presence is what fills the search results vacated by removed content and prevents new harmful content from ranking without competition. For people with no existing online presence, this baseline creation is the core of the repair step.
Monitor
Personal information can be re-published: data brokers re-add information regularly, new complaint posts can be filed, and new content can appear at any time. We monitor search results for your name so new instances are caught early. Monitoring is a structural part of managing personal information in search results over time—it is not optional. Ongoing monitoring is part of the broader reputation management approach.
Recent personal information removal results
See how we scrub personal data and private details from data broker sites and Google search results.
Data Profiles Cleared From Google Search in 4 Days
Finance professional with home address, phone number, and family data ranking in Google name search results. Verified opt-out requests submitted with correct documentation to trigger confirmed removal. Both profiles removed within 4 days.
2 Data Profiles Removed in 1 Day
Healthcare professional with name, workplace, and location data published on two data broker sites. Removal submitted through verified channel for each site (not standard opt-out forms). Both confirmed removed within 1 day.
Since 2009
In operation
Results-based
You only pay when it’s removed
Free assessment
No cost to get started
15+ years
Reputation management experience
See What Our Clients Have to Say About Us
Frequently asked questions about personal information removal
What is the difference between a data broker removal service and what Erase.com does?
Data broker removal services like DeleteMe and Incogni automate opt-outs from people-search aggregators. They remove your profile from those databases. They have no process for complaint posts, court records, intimate images, or news articles. Erase.com handles those content types through formal removal requests, legal grounds, and Google deindexing. If you are dealing with harmful content in search results, not just a Spokeo profile, you need a different type of service.
Can personal information be removed from the internet?
Yes, from many sources—but the approach depends on what type it is and where it appears. Google has tools for removing addresses and contact details from search snippets. Third-party sites have their own removal processes. Harmful content requires formal removal requests. We assess the full picture before any work starts.
Will my personal information come back after it is removed?
For data broker profiles: yes. Data brokers regularly re-add information, which is why removal requires ongoing monitoring and repeated opt-outs. If we do it for you we provide a lifetime guarantee that anything we remove will be gone for life. If it does come back we’ll remove it again at no additional cost or issue a full refund. For content removal—a removed complaint post or deindexed court record—reappearance is less automatic but new content can always be posted. Monitoring is a structural part of the solution for both types.
What types of personal information can be removed from Google?
Google’s results-about-you tool covers home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, login credentials, and financial account details. Non-consensual intimate images have a separate dedicated removal process. Some content is removed through Google’s standard review; other content requires source removal first.
What is California's DROP platform?
California’s Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform allows California residents to submit a single data broker removal request to 500+ brokers. This is more efficient than opting out from each one individually. DROP does not cover harmful content removal—complaint posts, court records, and intimate images require separate processes.
How long does personal information removal take?
Google’s results-about-you removals process within days to weeks. Third-party site removal requests typically take two to six weeks. Data broker opt-outs can take four to eight weeks to propagate and require repeating periodically. We set expectations based on the specific sources before any work starts.
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