In this post, we’ll cover what Spokeo is and Step-by-Step instructions on How to Opt Out of Spokeo.
What is Spokeo?
Spokeo is a data broker that displays the wealth information, contact information, social media accounts, location history, criminal records, names of relatives and other personal details of individuals. Spokeo collects personal information from hundreds of millions of historical records, property records, consumer and business records, court records, and social networks. A simple search on their site will grant you access to the detailed personal information of almost anyone.
If you are concerned about someone viewing your personal information on the Spokeo website, opt out by following the step-by-step instructions below.
How do I Opt Out and Remove Myself from Spokeo?
Currently, there are three ways to remove your personal information from data broker sites like Spokeo:
- Sign up for Optery's automated opt out and data deletion service. Our service will monitor and remove your profile from dozens of data brokers on an ongoing basis. Click here to sign up and get started with a free account and to learn about our automated service plans.
- Remove your personal information from Spokeo by following the steps outlined below. Optery provides guides with step-by-step opt out instructions for many other data brokers here.
- If you are a resident of California, you can opt out of data broker sites that follow the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) law. Click here to review Instructions for submitting a CCPA Data Deletion Request.
How do I Opt Out of Spokeo Manually?
1) Go to the Spokeo website here: https://www.spokeo.com/. Opting out of Spokeo requires you to provide your personal record URL. You can obtain your URL by performing a search on the Spokeo website. From the homepage, select either NAME, EMAIL, PHONE or ADDRESS to begin your search. Once you have selected your search method, enter the appropriate information into the space provided and then click SEARCH NOW.
2) Find your personal record from the search results displayed and click SEE RESULTS.
3) The next window that opens will display detailed personal information and your personal record URL required for opting out. Copy your personal record URL. The location of the URL you need to copy can be found inside the red rectangle in the example image below. Once you have copied your URL, return to the Spokeo homepage here: https://www.spokeo.com.
4) Scroll all the way down the homepage to the bottom and click the Do Not Sell My Info link.
5) In the Spokeo opt out form provided, paste your personal record URL from Step 3 above into the URL field. Then enter your email address, complete the security CAPTCHA and click OPT OUT. After clicking the OPT OUT button, a message will appear below the button confirming your opt out request. You will need to check your email inbox for an email from Spokeo to complete your opt out.
IMPORTANT: Whenever contacting a data broker, we highly recommend using a disposable email address, and NOT using your own primary email address. Data brokers are known to add you to their marketing lists and databases whenever you contact them, even if the purpose is to opt out! For more info on Disposable Emails click here
6) Open the email from Spokeo and click on the link provided.
7) A message confirming the validity of your opt out request will be displayed after you click the link in the email from Spokeo. Your personal information will be removed from the Spokeo website.
You have taken a simple, but important step towards reclaiming your privacy. However, there are hundreds of People Search Sites out there displaying peoples’ personal information. They are constantly changing and being updated. It’s nearly impossible to stay on top of these data brokers which is why we offer our premium service that monitors and removes your profile from dozens of data brokers continuously. We do all the work. You get your time back and more peace of mind. Bonus tip: if you’re a business owner worried about the security of your employees, we also have Optery for Business.