Spokeo Opt Out Guide
Seeing your personal information listed on Spokeo can feel unsettling — from your home address to family connections, it’s all out there for anyone to see. The good news is that you can remove yourself by following a few straightforward, do-it-yourself steps, which we’ll walk you through below. If you’d rather save time and have removals handled automatically across many data broker sites, you can also choose a data broker removal service like Vanish Me.
What is Spokeo?
Spokeo is a people search and data broker website that compiles personal information from public records, social media platforms, and online databases into detailed profiles. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, Spokeo markets itself as a tool for reconnecting with friends, verifying contacts, or learning more about people.
The platform aggregates data from sources such as property records, marketing lists, and court filings, along with user-generated content from social media accounts. As a result, a typical Spokeo report can include names, phone numbers, email addresses, current and past addresses, relatives, property ownership details, and even links to social profiles. Spokeo also offers reverse phone, email, and address lookups, making it simple for users to track down information with just one identifier.
While Spokeo is widely used, it has raised privacy concerns due to the volume of personal data it makes publicly accessible. In 2012, the company was fined by the Federal Trade Commission for improperly marketing consumer profiles to employers without adhering to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Importantly, Spokeo is not FCRA-compliant, meaning its data cannot legally be used for employment, tenant screening, credit checks, or insurance decisions.
How to remove your information from Spokeo.com?
Step 1: First, go to Spokeo.com and find your listing by searching your personal information (name, email, address, etc).
Step 2: Once you find your profile, copy and save the URL.
Step 3: Next, go to the Spokeo Opt Out page. Scroll down until you see “Opt Out Your Listing from Spokeo”. Then, paste your URL and type in your email address into the required boxes. Select the “Opt Out” button when you’re done.
Step 4: Next, navigate to your email inbox. You’ll received an email from Spokeo with a link. Click the second link in the email, under “To complete the removal process, please click this URL or paste it into your browser”
Step 5: Once you click on the link, you’ll be redirected back to the Spokeo Opt Out page. Once you scroll down, you’ll see a confirmation under the “Opt Out Your Listing from Spokeo” section, in blue. Then, you’re done!
How Long Does Spokeo Take to Remove Your Info?
Once you complete the opt-out process, Spokeo usually removes your information within 2 to 3 business days. In some cases, removal may happen within 24 hours, but it can take up to a week before your listing fully disappears from public view.
It’s important to note that Spokeo, like many data brokers, regularly refreshes its database from public and third-party sources. This means that even after your information is removed, it could reappear later if it’s re-collected from another data feed. If that happens, you’ll need to repeat the opt-out process or use an automated removal service that continually monitors and resubmits requests for you.
To confirm that your request worked, it’s a good idea to return to Spokeo after a few days and search for your name again. If your listing is still visible, you may need to re-submit your opt-out request.
