What you can actually delete from the internet

You cannot delete everything about yourself from the internet, but you can remove a lot of it. The most realistic targets are your personal details on data broker websites, your name from search engine results, and your accounts on social media and other services you no longer use. Removing information takes time — sometimes weeks — and you may need to contact multiple websites separately. Some information, like old news articles or public records, will stay online even after you request removal.

The fastest wins come from deleting accounts you control directly: email, social media, shopping sites, and forums where you posted. The harder work is removing data from sites you never signed up for, which bought or scraped your information from public sources. Both are worth doing, and both follow a clear process.

Key Takeaways

  • Delete accounts on social media, email, shopping sites, and any service where you created a profile, because these sites hold the most detailed information about you.
  • Data broker websites buy your name, address, phone number, and sometimes financial history from public records and other sources — removing yourself from these sites takes longer but is very doable.
  • Google and Bing let you request removal of specific pages or your name from search results, though the original page may still exist elsewhere.
  • Some information like court records and news articles cannot be deleted, but you can request removal from search results so fewer people find it.
  • Keep records of what you requested and when, because many sites require follow-up to confirm removal.

Delete the accounts and profiles you created

Start here because these are the easiest to remove and they hold the most personal information. Go through your email inbox and look for account confirmation messages from services you signed up for — social media, shopping, banking, forums, dating apps, streaming services, and old work accounts. Each one is a profile that contains your name, email, phone number, address, or payment information.

For each account, find the settings or account menu and look for a "Delete Account" or "Close Account" option. Some sites make this hard to find — it may be buried under Privacy, Settings, or Account Management. If you cannot find it, search "[site name] how to delete account" in your browser. Many sites will ask you to confirm deletion by email or will give you a waiting period (often 30 days) before the account is actually removed. Save any confirmation email you receive.

If you no longer have access to the email address you used to sign up, contact the site's support team directly. Explain that you no longer have access to that email and want to delete the account. This takes longer but most sites will process it. Keep a list of what you deleted and when, in case you need to follow up.

Remove yourself from data broker websites

Data brokers are companies that collect and sell your personal information. They get your data from public records (property records, voter registration, court documents), from other companies that sell it, or by scraping it from websites. Common data brokers include Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, PeopleFinder, and Intelius, though there are dozens more. These sites let anyone search for your name and see your address, phone number, and sometimes family members' names.

Most data brokers have an "opt out" or "remove my information" link on their website, usually at the bottom of the page or in a Privacy section. Click it and follow the steps, which usually involve entering your name and confirming your request by email. Some brokers require you to verify your identity by uploading a photo of your ID. This is normal and protects against someone else removing your information. Save the confirmation email.

Because there are many data brokers and new ones appear regularly, you may not catch them all. Services like Opting Out, OneRep, and Privacy Bee monitor data brokers and can remove your information from multiple sites at once — some charge a fee, others are free. These services do the same thing you would do manually, just faster. If you prefer to do it yourself, search "data broker removal" and work through the list, removing yourself from each site one at a time.

Request removal from Google and Bing search results

Even after you delete a page from a website, Google and Bing may still show it in search results. You can ask the search engines to remove it. Go to Google Search Console (console.search.google.com) and sign in with your Google account. Add your website or claim ownership of it if you already have one listed. Then go to Removals and request removal of the specific URL you want taken down.

For pages you do not own — like old news articles or social media posts that are still live — you can use Google's removal request form at google.com/webmasters/tools/removals. Explain why the page should be removed. Google will review it, though they may decline if the page is newsworthy or in the public interest. Removal from Google usually takes a few days to a few weeks.

Bing has a similar process at bing.com/webmaster. You can also request that Bing remove your name from search results even if the page itself stays online. This is useful for old articles or pages you cannot control. Both search engines will remove the listing from their results, but the original page will still exist on the website that hosts it.

Handle information you cannot delete

Court records, property records, and news articles are public information and usually cannot be deleted. Government agencies own these records and do not remove them just because you ask. However, you can still reduce how easily people find them. Request removal from Google and Bing search results (see above), which prevents the pages from appearing when someone searches your name. The records will still exist if someone goes directly to the court or property records website, but most people will not do that.

For news articles, contact the news organization and ask if they will remove or update the article. Many will not, especially if the article is accurate and newsworthy. Some will add a note that information is outdated or remove your full name while keeping the article. It depends on the publication's policy. If the article contains false information, you have more leverage — news organizations have a responsibility to correct errors.

If information is inaccurate or violates your privacy, you may have legal options. Laws like the GDPR (in Europe) and CCPA (in California) give you the right to request removal of certain personal data. If you live in one of these places, contact the website's privacy team and cite the relevant law. They are required to respond within a set timeframe.

Protect your information going forward

After you remove your information, take steps to prevent it from being collected again. Use strong, unique passwords on every account and turn on two-factor authentication where available. Be cautious about what information you share publicly on social media — set your profiles to private and limit who can see your posts. When you sign up for new services, read the privacy policy and opt out of data sharing if the option exists.

Consider using a separate email address for online shopping and services you do not trust, so your main email stays out of data broker databases. Use a VPN when browsing on public WiFi to prevent your activity from being tracked. These steps will not stop all data collection, but they make it harder for your information to spread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to remove information from the internet?

Deleting accounts you control usually takes a few days to a few weeks. Data brokers typically take two to four weeks after you submit a removal request. Search engine removal can take a few days to a few weeks. Some information, like old news articles, may never be fully removed. The entire process of removing yourself from multiple sites can take a month or more.

Will my information come back after I remove it?

Data brokers may re-collect your information from public records or other sources over time, so you may need to remove yourself again in the future. Accounts you delete will not automatically recreate themselves. Search engine results will not reappear unless the original page is updated or the search engine re-indexes it. Check back every few months to see if your information has reappeared.

What if a website refuses to delete my account?

Contact the site's customer support team in writing and explain that you want to delete your account. If they do not respond, check if they have a privacy policy that explains the deletion process — some sites require you to follow specific steps. If the site is based in Europe or California, you may have legal rights to deletion under GDPR or CCPA. Send a formal request citing the relevant law.

Can I remove myself from Google Images?

Yes. Go to Google Images, search for your name, and look for photos you want removed. Click the three dots next to each image and select "Report image." If the image is on a website you control, you can remove it from that site and then request removal from Google Search Console. If it is on someone else's site, you can still request removal, though Google will review whether it violates their policies.

Do I need to pay for data removal services?

No. You can remove yourself from data brokers and search results for free by doing it manually. Paid services like OneRep or Privacy Bee do the same work faster and monitor for re-collection, which saves time. Whether it is worth paying depends on how much time you have and how thorough you want to be. Free removal is slower but completely effective.