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After getting bombarded by personalized ads, I made it my mission to learn how to remove ads from Google Search results. Read on to find out what I’ve learned.

How to Remove Ads from Google Search Results 

The only reliable way to stop seeing ads in Google Search results is to install an ad blocker. 

Ad-blocking software can block many types of ads, including those on Google Search, and there are many free or low-cost options available.

Be aware, however, that not every ad blocker will block ads on Google Search. 

For example, when I used AdBlock, I continued to see ads in Google Search results, but when I switched to uBlock Origin, they were effectively blocked. 

If you opt for this route, do some research to ensure the ad blocker you’re thinking of installing blocks ads on Google Search. 

What Else Can You Do to Stop Seeing Ads In Google Search? 

If you don’t want to install an ad blocker, or if that method doesn’t work for you, you can also try the following. 

Use a different search engine 

Some search engines, like DuckDuckGo and Brave, focus on user privacy and do not show personalized ads or track your search activity, meaning you don’t have to be concerned about personalized advertising. 

DuckDuckGo, Brave, and similar search engines that bill themselves as being “more private” still display ads in their search results based on the keywords you search for. 

However, if you’re used to Google, these search engines might not return the results you’re used to seeing. 

For instance, one reviewer who switched from Google to DuckDuckGo found that it was far less effective at helping him piece together results for which he didn’t have a clear search query. He attributed this to an inferior algorithm that isn’t as clever at interpreting search inputs.

Other privacy-focused search engines are working on actively improving their search algorithm capabilities, such as Swisscows, which relies on Microsoft Bing’s search index but uses advanced semantics-based artificial intelligence to improve its results. That said, some reviewers have pointed out that some data (such as your IP address) is still logged when using Swisscows.

Adjust ad settings (to stop seeing personalized ads) 

As an alternative, you can adjust your Google ad settings to continue using the world’s most popular search engine while seeing less personalized ads on Search and across all of Google’s services. 

To change your ad settings on Google, follow these steps:

1. Go to My Ad Center on Google and sign in if needed.
2. On the upper right side of the screen, you’ll see a drop-down menu next to “Personalized Ads.”
3. Click on the drop-down menu and switch it to “Off.”
4. You’ll see a popup window advising you of the advantages of personalized ads. Click “Turn off” at the bottom. 
5. That’s it! You’ll see a second popup window stating that it could take a while for the change to take effect.

Your Ad Center should now look like this:

According to Google’s Ad Center Help, when you turn off personalized ads, the information/activity saved in your account won’t be used to determine what ads to show you. Instead, the ads you see will be based on general factors like the topic of the website you’re visiting or the time of day. 

Subscribe to Google premium where available

Google offers premium versions of some of its services, such as YouTube Premium, which removes ads from YouTube videos. 

However, there isn’t a direct Google Search premium service that removes ads from search results.

The Best Way to Remove Ads 

The best way to remove ads on Google Search and elsewhere on the web is to install an ad blocker. Make sure to get one that blocks ads on Google Search – not all of them do. uBlock is a good option, but do your own research to ensure it suits you. 

Something to note is that just because you stop seeing ads (or personalized ads, at least), that doesn’t mean your personal data is not being sold to advertisers. In fact, data brokers (such as Whitepages, Spokeo, and Intelius) are actively harvesting your data and selling it to third-party advertisers for a minimal fee. 

Fortunately, you can opt out of data brokers to prevent them from collecting and selling your personal information. 

Unfortunately, you will need to opt out of every data broker with a profile on you, and you’ll most likely have to repeat the process, as data brokers are notorious for reactivating accounts when new information about you is uncovered online. 

As an alternative, you can subscribe to a data removal service such as DeleteMe to handle the opt-out process for you and reduce the likelihood of your personal information being used to target you with ads. 

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If you’d like to find out how to remove an address from Google Business – whether it’s your business or your personal address – you’ve come to the right place. 

Follow the steps below to learn how to remove your address from Google’s directory. We also show you how to remove a business from Google Maps.

How to Remove Address from Google Business

There are many reasons why you may want to remove an address from Google Business, including if you work from home and would like to maintain your privacy. 

Fortunately, removing an address from Google’s directory is relatively simple. 

1. Log into Google

First, sign in to Google Business. 

If you have multiple businesses, select the one that you’d like to remove the address for.

2. Go to your profile

Once your business page pulls up, click “Edit profile” on the upper left.

3. Edit your location

When the popup window with your business details appears, click “Location” in the tabs at the top of the window. 

Scroll down to “Location and areas” and find the field marked “Business location.” 

You’ll see a pencil next to your address. Go ahead and click it. 

From there, you’ll see a new screen. Click the slider marked “Show business address to customers” to off.

How to Remove a Business from Maps

You can also remove your business from Google Maps. Follow the below steps to do so.

1. Sign into Google Maps

Go to Google Maps and sign in with the account associated with your business profile.

2. Select your business

From Maps, select your business as it appears. 

On the left-hand side of the screen, a popup will open with the business details. 

Scroll down until you find “Suggest an edit.”

3. Remove your business

Next, you’ll see a popup with two options. Pick the second option to “Close or remove” the listing. 

You’ll be shown a new list of options asking why the listing needs to be removed. Pick the one that works best for your situation. 

Then, click “Submit.”

How to Set Up a Google Business Profile for a Business Without a Physical Address

If your business doesn’t have a physical address, you can still set up a Google Business Profile – and you don’t have to share your home address to do so.

Instead, when setting up a Google Business Profile, leave the “business location” field empty. 

Google allows this for service-area businesses, i.e., businesses that deliver to or visit customers directly, like plumbers or cleaning services.

Removing Address from Google Business

While you can remove your address from Google Business and Maps by following the steps above, the address may still be linked to you and thus discoverable online. 

One reason for this is data brokers, which are companies that collect and sell public information about you to any interested third parties. 

Luckily, you can opt out of data brokers to prevent them from sharing your personal details, including your address, with anyone who wants to see them. 

To remove yourself from data brokers and stop your address from showing up on Google Search results, you will need to opt out of every major data broker with a profile on you. See our free DIY guides here.

You will more than likely need to repeat the process, as data brokers notoriously reactivate profiles when they uncover new information about you. 

As an alternative to manually opting out of data brokers, consider subscribing to a data removal service such as DeleteMe. Our privacy professionals will opt you out of data brokers on your behalf, and they will do so continuously to ensure your name and address do not reappear on broker databases. 

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If you’ve come across highly personalized ads or found unexpected tidbits of data about yourself online, you may have wondered: How do websites get your personal information in the first place? 

In this guide, we’ll go over the different methods websites use to collect information about you and provide some tips on how you can minimize the spread of your data going forward.

How Do Websites Get Your Personal Information?

Websites employ several different techniques to gather information about you. The most common methods include cookies, IP address tracking, fingerprinting, and web beacons. 

Cookies

Anytime you go to a website, you’ll see a pop-up asking you for consent to use cookies. 

Cookies are small strings of text sent by a website to your web browser and back with your details. 

Cookies can monitor your search history, how many times you visit a website, and more. 

They come in two forms: First-party cookies, which are created by the website you visit, and third-party cookies, which are created by parties that are not the website owner, like advertising companies. 

The main difference between the two is that while first-party cookies can be used to enhance the user experience (for example, by remembering what you’ve already seen), third-party cookies are used primarily to track user activity and display personalized ads based on their activity. 

IP address tracking

Websites systemically take note of IP addresses as soon as a user connects to them. That means the website owner can see your IP address, gaining an approximate idea of where you are in the world and learning how long you spend on different parts of their site.

Fingerprinting

Once browsers enabled users to block or limit their cookie intake, a workaround was developed. Fingerprinting enables a website to identify you using a combination of your device and your web browser, along with myriad smaller details that create a unique “fingerprint” each time you visit. 

Electronic Frontier Foundation’s “Cover Your Tracks” online tool lets you see how identifiable you are. 

Web beacons

Web beacons are graphic files hidden on a website and sent to your computer as soon as you visit. Also known as “spy pixels,” they enable website owners to see what pages you’re visiting and for how long, along with where you’re clicking and what you’re interacting with.

How to Stop Websites From Tracking You 

With so many invasive tracking techniques out there, it’s perfectly reasonable to look for a way to disable them. Fortunately, there are a few relatively easy steps you can take to limit how your online activities are tracked.

• Enable “Do not track” in your browser (see how to do so in Chrome and Firefox).

• Block third-party cookies in Chrome.
• Use an add-on designed to block tracking scripts.
• Use a browser with built-in tracking prevention, such as Firefox, which stops fingerprinting automatically.
• Change your browser settings to delete cookies every time you exit a browser.

• Consider a VPN to stop your IP address from being visible.
• Block images in your email service to prevent web beacons and cookies from getting in.

How Do Data Broker Websites Get Your Personal Information? 

Data broker websites also collect your personal information. 

Data brokers are companies that collect personal data about individuals and then sell that data to anyone who’ll pay their minimal fee. The data offered could be highly revealing, including your full name, home address, telephone number, family member details, education and work history, and much more.

Data brokers get their data using a host of different techniques. Let’s look at some of their most popular personal information sources.

Federal government

The federal government is one of the top customers of data brokers – but it also serves as one of the primary sources for them. Everything from your voter registration information to your age, ethnicity, occupation, and whether you’ve declared bankruptcy can come from the federal government.

State and local governments

State and local governments are another major source for data brokers. Data brokers can use them to find data like vehicle registration information, occupational licensing information, and property records.

Publicly available sources

Data brokers are notorious for using publicly available sources to scrape information. That includes media reports, business listings, forum posts, and social media profiles (such as Facebook and LinkedIn). 

Speaking of social media profiles, some data brokers even let you search for individuals through their online usernames. 

Commercial data sources

From credit card purchases to warranty registration, commercial companies collect a lot of information on their users. Some of it, in turn, winds up in the hands of data brokers. In addition, the FTC reports that some data brokers get consumers’ web browsing activities from online advertising networks. 

Each other 

Perhaps the biggest source of information for data brokers is other data brokers. They borrow indiscriminately from one another without stopping to verify information, meaning at least some information in their databases is obsolete or incorrect. According to one report, 40% of all information data brokers have on individuals is inaccurate or no longer accurate. 

How to Remove Information from Data Brokers 

You can opt out of data brokers, which will remove your profile from their databases. 

However, you’ll need to opt out of every single data broker with a profile on you, and you’ll need to do so continuously, as data brokers will relist your profile when they collect more information about you.

As an alternative, you can subscribe to a data removal service such as DeleteMe to handle opting out of data brokers for you.

Reduce Your Digital Footprint 

It may seem like an uphill battle to maintain your privacy while using the internet, but it’s not totally impossible. Remember that the less you share online – whether it’s making revealing posts on social media or letting cookies track your habits – the more private you’ll be. 

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If you live in Missouri and are concerned about your online privacy, you may be interested in knowing how to remove your records from Case.net. 

In this guide, we’ll go over what Case.net is and the steps you can take to protect yourself. 

What Is Case.net? 

Case.net is a public online service that allows you to look up information about court cases in Missouri. It does not provide information about court cases in other states, meaning only cases filed in Missouri are searchable. 

While Case.net was initially launched in the 1990s to allow registered e-filing users to access its records, that changed in July 2023 when the state expanded access to Case.net to the public. 

How to Remove Records from Case.net

Unfortunately, there’s no standard process for removing your records from Case.net. This is because Case.net is a directory of public judicial records, and public records can’t typically be removed. 

The only exception is if the case can be expunged, in which case the record will be removed from Case.net when the expungement order is issued. You can find out what offenses are eligible for expungement at Clear My Record Missouri.

If the record is a complaint that has since been satisfied, such as for nonpayment to a landlord, you can petition the court (or get your attorney to do so) for a satisfaction of judgment. If the court agrees, the satisfaction of judgment will also show up on Case.net along with other details of the record. It may not be as conclusive as expungement, but at least those who find the record will be able to see that you did your part to resolve the situation. 

What Personal Information Is Visible On Case.net? 

If you’re curious about what data someone can see when they find your record on Case.net, the information can be substantial. Records generally include information on the case, judge, and verdict. They can also include the names of each party, addresses, and even birth years. 

In 2023, it was also discovered that some documents on Case.net included Social Security numbers and other sensitive information that anyone could access, with thousands of residents compromised. 

This situation underscores the importance of attorneys redacting confidential information – which is all the more important now due to the expanded remote public access of Case.net.

Where Else Are Your Court Records Visible?

Government databases are far from the only place your court records may be showing up. 

Data brokers and people search sites also download and maintain separate databases of court records. Data brokers are companies that scrape the internet for public information on individuals before selling it to third parties as part of a packaged profile. 

For example, the data broker Spokeo lets you search for criminal records.

This is a problem as data brokers are notorious for listing inaccurate or no longer accurate data, which can lead to diminished opportunities if someone searches for you through the data broker and comes across a faulty record.

Among the common types of incorrect information found on data broker websites are:

• Incorrectly associated criminal reports (from a person with a similar name, for instance).
• Incorrectly categorized crimes (such as indication of a felony crime when it was a misdemeanor).
• Incomplete records that fail to show how a court case developed.
• Expunged or sealed records that should not be available to the public.
• Listing every individual charge related to a single offense as separate incidents. 

Fortunately, you can opt out of data brokers. Doing so will remove your personal information (including potential criminal reports) from their databases. 

Unfortunately, data brokers reactivate profiles once new information is found online, meaning you will need to repeat the opt-out process whenever that occurs. 

Alternatively, you can subscribe to a data broker removal service such as DeleteMe to have privacy experts continuously opt you out of brokers on your behalf. 

Reduce Your Digital Footprint 

Every data broker you opt out of will reduce your digital footprint, which means there will be less information about you online. 

Even if you can’t remove your records from Case.net, removing your information from data brokers can help improve your privacy and reduce the likelihood that someone will find information about you – whether it’s accurate or not. 

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Data Privacy Week is not just a time for awareness but for action. As the leader in data privacy solutions, we’ve compiled tips from renowned tech/privacy influencers to elevate your digital safety. This collection of expert advice is tailored to help you make informed decisions in the complex world of online data.

Understanding Your Digital Footprint

Most people probably know that their information can be found online, but they likely aren’t aware of how easy it is to find it, or how it got there in the first place. From social media platforms and shopping sites to search engines and communication apps, your digital footprint is constantly expanding. Every click, like, and share contributes to a collage of data that companies may collect, analyze, and potentially misuse.

With a quick Google search using your name and location, you can most likely find your home address, phone number, email address and information about your relatives. Your Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is posted online by data brokers that crawl the web for personal information of consumers, and then compile it into easy-to-find profiles. Data brokers assemble these profiles using information from a variety of sources like government records, self reported information (signing up for a sweepstakes, for example), social media, or even other data brokers.

Here are some great tips from our friends on how to prepare for Data Privacy Week 2024.

Protecting Your PII

Think before you post! When you post something on social media, ask yourself the question: “Could someone use this information against me?” Be super careful when posting pictures of your house, your kids, the school they attend, your car’s registration details, and any other identifying information. Once it is out there, it is almost impossible to completely erase it from the internet. You never know who is watching!

Liron Segev, Security Tech YouTuber

Using the “Could someone use this information against me?” rule of thumb from Liron Segev is a great way to mitigate theyour risk of your PII being exploited.

Another great tip is to use a unique email address for personal communications only: 

To protect your privacy, get a new, private email address that is not used to create logins or sign up for deals and is only shared with close friends and family. This way, you can insulate your private communication and keep that address off the searchable internet. 

Andy Murphy, The Secure Dad

Keeping your email address out of the databases of marketers and data brokers will greatly increase your online privacy and data security. 

Educate Your Network

One of the best things you can do to protect your online privacy is to tell your friends and family about ways that they can stay private online, and the risks associated with having your PII exposed. 

Grandma may think it’s harmless to post a photo of you on your birthday, but scammers can use that info to access your accounts. Make sure your entire family is informed about data privacy!

@notkahnjunior, Privacy Advocate, TikToker

Your PII is commonly linked to the PII of your family members. By educating them on the potential risks of data exposure, and ways to protect their privacy, they can, in turn, help to reduce your risk of data exposure and exploitation.

Parents, do not share personally identifiable information about your children on social media (i.e., full names, birthdates, addresses, schools, etc.) and check the privacy settings of your social media accounts.

Sarah Adams, aka mom.uncharted, Children Privacy Advocate

Social Media is a Treasure Trove of PII

It may be a hassle, but keeping up to date with the privacy policies of your social media platforms is necessary in order to reduce the risk of your personal data falling into the wrong hands.

Tip: Use a service like tosdr.org to grade the privacy policies of your social media platforms, and provide easy-to-understand elements of privacy policies.

Lock down your social media accounts! Unless you’re a public figure, there’s no reason that you should risk exposing all of this personal data on the internet. If you have a Facebook account, be sure that only your friends (not friends of friends!) can view your posts, photos and connections. On Instagram, make your account private. On Twitter, protect your posts so that only your friends can see them (it’s in the privacy settings). It only takes a few minutes of digging through the settings of each of these social media accounts, but it makes a profound difference for your data privacy online. 

Josh Summers, All Things Secured

Hackers and ID thieves can learn a ton about you just by looking at your social media profiles. They may be able to obtain parts of your personal information via the dark web or data breaches, and then use your social media profiles in order to piece together the full picture that they need to commit fraud or identity theft.

Never answer security questions truthfully! “What was your high school mascot?” “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” “What’s the model of your first car?” These questions are easy to find via social media so a malicious actor can easily find these answers (or make an educated guess!) to reset passwords or gain access to online accounts. If you’re forced to fill out these forms, answer these questions with entries that are randomly generated by a password manager or are not truthful. Keep the attackers guessing.

Shannon Morse, Privacy Advocate, YouTuber

Treat Your PII Like Your Home

Whether you rent or own your home, you have some type of insurance policy to protect your belongings in the case that something goes wrong. You lock your front door to ensure that people without the keys to your home can’t get inside. You should do the same with your personal information.

1. Guarding your data is as vital as locking your front door. A quick and easy step you can take today is to regularly update your passwords. Treat them like toothbrushes – change them every few months. It’s a simple habit that builds a strong defense against unwanted intruders.”

2. As a former CIA officer, I’ve learned the value of discretion. Treat your online data with the same level of caution. Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible; it’s like having an extra lock on your digital door. This simple step can significantly enhance your data’s security, adding an additional layer that deters unwanted access.

Jason Hanson, former CIA officer, YouTuber

Stay Safe this Data Privacy Week

As you navigate the intricacies of the digital world, Data Privacy Week serves as a timely reminder that your online privacy is worth protecting. By understanding the importance of online privacy and actively participating in initiatives like Data Privacy Week, you can contribute to the creation of a digital world where personal information is respected, safeguarded, and used responsibly. Join us in celebrating Data Privacy Week by taking concrete steps to protect your digital information, and empower others to do the same.

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Follow our guide below to learn how to remove your data from people-finder sites. 

Let’s be honest – the chances of getting a message from a long-lost friend who found you through a people finder site are slim. 

On the other hand, being scammed, doxxed, harassed, turned down for a job or house, or seeing your insurance premium rise as a result of your personal data appearing on a people finder site are… less slim. 

To stop your personal details from being sold to just about anyone, you need to opt out from people finder sites. 

What Are People Finder Sites?

People-finder sites, also known as people search sites or data brokers, collect your personal info from public sources and compile it into comprehensive profiles. 

Some of the data they collect comes from social media (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram), and some from public records (such as court and criminal records). The rest might come from other third parties, including other data brokers. 

A typical people finder profile contains information like your full name, date of birth, home address, phone number, family member details, employment, bankruptcies, etc. 

Sometimes, this information is available for free. Other times, you might have to pay a small fee to view someone’s profile. 

How to Remove Your Data from People Finder Sites

While it isn’t illegal for people search websites to publish and sell profiles of your personal information, that doesn’t mean you have to put up with your data being sold. 

Most people finder sites let you opt out from their databases, and although it’s a time-consuming process, it’ll help you reduce the amount of personal data that exists about you online. 

Here’s how to remove your personal data from people finder sites. 

1. Google your name 

To start, you’ll need to determine what people-finder sites have profiles on you. Go to Google Search (or a search engine of your choice) and enter your full name. You may also need to add geographic details (such as the city and/or state you live in) to get an accurate match. 

Take note of any people-finder websites offering information on you  (common sites include PeekYou, Whitepages.com, US Search, and ZabaSearch). 

Add them to a list of data brokers to contact and request your profile removed from, as they will often be among the first stops for bad actors with malicious intent who are looking for information about you (such as doxers or stalkers). 

2. Look yourself up on people finder sites that did not appear on Google 

Not every people-finder site with a profile on you will appear in Google’s search results. If you’re serious about your online privacy, you’ll need to go to each people finder website and search for your name. 

When you find a matching profile, copy its URL. You’ll likely need to provide it later on when opting out. 

3. Find the opt-out page

When you’re ready to opt out of a people-finder site’s data collection services – or, to put it another way, when you’re ready to request the removal of your personal information from their database – your next step is to find their opt-out page. 

Most people-finder sites have an opt-out page viewable from the footer or FAQ sections. 

The opt-out page should have instructions on how to remove your profile from that particular website.

4. Submit an opt out request

The opt-out process varies from one data broker to the next. 

Some people-finder sites have opt-out forms that you can fill out and submit, while others require you to email them specific information (sometimes even requiring you to verify your identity). 

Follow each data broker’s instructions on the site’s opt-out page.

Check out our free DIY data broker opt out guides if you need help. Some of our most popular guides are:

• How to remove yourself from Whitepages.
• How to remove yourself from Spokeo.
• How to remove yourself from BeenVerified.
• How to remove yourself from PeopleFinder.
• How to remove yourself from Radaris.
• How to remove yourself from People Background Check.   
• How to remove yourself from TruthFinder.
• How to remove yourself from MyLife.
• How to remove yourself from Intelius. 
• How to remove yourself from Fast People Search
• How to remove yourself from Arrests.org.
• How to remove yourself from CheckPeople.com
• How to remove yourself from Instant Checkmate.

When submitting your opt out request, remember that you’re dealing with a data broker. Be very careful about what you share – including your real email address. Most data brokers require you to click on a confirmation email before they accept your opt out request. You may want to set up a temporary account or use a masked email to avoid unwittingly giving out your contact information.

Some data brokers maintain multiple profiles on the same person. Make sure to include each profile that’s connected to you in the removal request. 

5. Repeat the process for each site

Since people-finder sites operate in isolation, you will need to repeat the opt out process for each one that has a profile on you. 

Remember to reference Google search results and manually check data broker websites to find any profiles connected with your identity.

6. Repeat the process in a few months time

Unfortunately, opting out of a people-finder site doesn’t mean that you’ll be removed from it forever. People search websites frequently refresh their databases, creating new profiles when they find new information about you. 

This means you’ll need to go back to each people finder site a few months after you opt out to see if your profile has reappeared. 

If a new profile has appeared, you’ll have to repeat the removal process. 

Alternatively, you can subscribe to a data broker removal service like DeleteMe. Our privacy experts will continuously opt you out of people-finder sites on your behalf. 

Why Is My Information On People Finder Sites?

Data is valuable, and that means that data brokers are interested in selling your sensitive information whether you’re aware of it or not. 

As long as your information is publicly available on social media platforms, public records, and online accounts, it’s at risk for collection by people-finder sites, who will compile it into a profile and sell it.

Since the information they deal in is public, data brokers aren’t breaking the law by selling it, even though you haven’t given consent. 

Having your personal information for sale like that doesn’t just impinge on your privacy; it can actually harm you. Anyone can use people search sites and data brokers (doxxers, stalkers, scammers, hackers, advertisers, etc.) to find your personal information and target you with personalized ads, hack into your accounts, send you scams, or commit identity theft. 

You can minimize your exposure to people-finder websites by limiting what you share on the internet. Change the privacy settings on your social media profiles, remove your contact information from public facing accounts, and avoid including personal details in your posts and comments.

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This guide will show you how to successfully request to delete personal data from any company or online service. 

Although individuals living in states or countries with consumer privacy laws will find the process the easiest, it is possible to ask companies to delete your personal data even if no such laws apply to you. 

Who Can Request to Delete Personal Data?

When it comes to data deletion, where you live matters. A lot. 

In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives people (or data subjects) the right to ask companies to delete their personal information.

Companies don’t always have to comply (they can refuse your right to delete for various reasons, including for freedom of expression or if deleting/archiving your data would not be in the public interest). But having this law in place makes it much easier to protect your privacy. 

Unfortunately, there is no GDPR equivalent in the US. 

Instead, more states in the US are implementing consumer privacy laws. Notable ones include the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).  

Overall, there are 12 states with signed and enacted state privacy laws. If you live in one of these states, you have the right to ask companies to delete your data. 

Tip: To track US state privacy laws, refer to the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). 

The 12 US states with data and privacy laws are: 

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Montana
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia 

Some of these laws have yet to come into effect. For instance, in Delaware, the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act will come into effect on the 1st of January, 2025. 

Note: Being a resident of one of these states doesn’t necessarily mean that a company will delete your data. For example, under the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA, a company may refuse to comply with your request to delete data for reasons of public interest in areas such as public health, to investigate or defend legal claims, etc. 

Even if you’re not lucky enough to live in one of these states, it’s still possible to get your data deletion request approved individually by a company. 

To do that, you’ll need to contact each company that has your personal data. The easiest way to go about this is to follow data access requests under the CCPA (even if you’re not a California resident). 

The reason why is that the CCPA requires companies to give consumers an outlet to contact them about data deletion. You can check the company web page for a phone number, online request form, or email address to make a data deletion request. 

How Can I Request to Delete Personal Data?

To delete your personal data from a particular company’s database, you need to make a data deletion request. But this is not a one-size-fits-all process. Every company will have different steps in place on how to go about data deletion. 

Here’s how the process would look for Spotify users. In most cases, you should be able to adapt this approach to other companies. 

1. Go to a company’s website

First, go to the company website.

2. Look for the company’s privacy policy or its equivalent

Next, search the homepage and company website for a “Privacy Policy“ or “CCPA” link. It should be located towards the bottom of the page on most websites or included in the footer of the website. 

On the Spotify website, you can see it right in the bottom left corner of the homepage. Click the “Privacy Policy” link.  

3. Look for information on personal data rights 

Once you locate the Privacy Policy, you’ll see a page that covers privacy-related questions. This includes your data privacy, personal data rights, erasure of personal data steps, how to create an erasure request, exemptions, etc. 

Next, scroll down to find a section about data deletion requests. This is where you can learn about your personal data rights and controls. 

Spotify states exactly how you can delete your personal data. You need to go to the support page to delete non-audio-related personal data. 

Tip: While you’re on a company’s privacy policy, take the time to learn about what personal data they collect about you in the first place. In Spotify’s case, I scrolled further down the page until I came across a section called “Personal data we collect about you.” You can also press Ctrl+F and type in “data we collect” to find this section faster. 

Spotify is transparent about its data collection. They gather user data like your profile name, address, email, date of birth, gender, etc. This is done to build your profile and check if you qualify for different service options based on location.

Spotify also has an extensive section about the data they collect based on your activity. This includes search queries, streaming history, playlists you create, your library browsing history, account settings, and interactions with other Spotify users. 

If this seems too much for you, you can move on to the deletion steps. Keep an eye out for the disclaimer about your personal data and the risk of account deletion.

4. Follow the instructions

Once you reach the support page, follow the instructions to delete your personal data. 

Note: In some cases, including Spotify, you will need to delete your account to delete your personal data. 

With Spotify, there’s a separate link to close your account and delete your data for Free and Premium users. Choose the option that is relevant to you. 

After selecting, you are redirected to a new page. This is where Spotify explains what happens after you choose to close your account and delete personal data. 

If you want to proceed, click the “Close my account and delete my data” button. 

After you click this button, a live chat feature will pop up. 

The chatbot walks you through the rest of the data deletion process. Follow the prompts in the chat to finish the process.

Tip: You can request a copy of your personal data before you delete your account. This is your way to check what type of data Spotify has on you. You can do so by following the instructions on the Privacy Settings page. 

Alternative Data Deletion Request Options

If a company you want to delete your data from doesn’t provide clear instructions or you’d rather send an email, you can use the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) email template when requesting data deletion. 

Note that the email template is written with the CCPA in mind. 

There are some rules and policies to keep in mind. 

First, any data deletion request under the CCPA can be made to a business with an annual gross revenue of over $25M or collect the personal information of 50,000 consumers. If they do not check these boxes, the company must make 50% or more of its revenue from selling consumers’ personal information.

You are allowed to make this request twice annually for free. Businesses are required to respond within 90 days. They can legally ask for more information to verify the request. 

Don’t hesitate to follow up if you don’t hear back from a company in that timeframe.

Will My Data Be Deleted?

Your data may not be permanently deleted, even after a data deletion request. 

The action taken will depend on both the company’s policies and the specific data in question. Different organizations have varied protocols and considerations for data retention.

When you request the deletion of your personal data from a company, it doesn’t guarantee that all your information will be removed. While many companies do adhere to privacy laws and regulations, there are several reasons why they might retain certain pieces of your data.

First, there are operational needs for consumer data. Companies might need to keep some personal data for the core functioning of their services. For instance, an e-commerce platform might retain your address for warranty or return purposes.

There are also legal obligations to consider. In some cases, companies are legally required to retain specific data for a predetermined period. This could be for tax purposes, legal disputes, or compliance with regulatory mandates.

Companies also use backup systems. Even if a company deletes your data from its primary systems, it might still exist in backup or archival systems for a while, depending on the data retention policies. 

When signing up with a company, you should thoroughly read the privacy and data sections. You’ll learn what they do with your data, how long they keep it, and if they will permanently delete it. 

Opting Out of Data Brokers

It’s not just companies you have an account with that have your personal information. Data brokers do, too, and they give you nothing in return. 

Data brokers are specialized companies that aggregate personal information about individuals. They collect online data from social media, search engines, public records, offline databases, and your buying behaviors. Their primary business is gathering, processing, and selling or licensing these compiled profiles to other businesses, advertisers, or interested parties. 

Not many people are aware of how much data brokers know about you. A typical data broker profile can include information like:

• Your full name
• Aliases
• Home address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Age
• Gender
• Education 
• Employment history
• Family members
• Social media profiles
• Photos and videos
• Additional information. 

The good news is you can opt out of data brokers – but you’ll need to do it every few months as they are known to relist people’s data as soon as they find more of it. 

Use our free opt-out guides for step-by-step instructions (each broker has a different process). 

Popular guides include:

• How to remove yourself from Whitepages.
• How to remove yourself from Spokeo.
• How to remove yourself from BeenVerified.
• How to remove yourself from PeopleFinder.
• How to remove yourself from Radaris.
• How to remove yourself from People Background Check.   
• How to remove yourself from TruthFinder.
• How to remove yourself from MyLife.
• How to remove yourself from Intelius. 
• How to remove yourself from Fast People Search
• How to remove yourself from Arrests.org.
• How to remove yourself from CheckPeople.com
• How to remove yourself from Instant Checkmate.

Or, if you’d rather not have to opt out from data brokers manually, sign up for a data broker removal service provider like DeleteMe, who will remove you from data brokers continuously. You can read reviews about DeleteMe’s service here. 

A combination of personal data deletion requests and data broker opt-outs is a strong approach to keeping your personal details safe and private. 

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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) exists in the European Union to ​protect consumer data. This comes in handy when European consumers want personal data deletion. But ​what about the US? 

This guide covers ​four US consumer privacy laws, including:

• California Consumer Privacy Act & ​California Privacy Rights Act
• Virginia Consumer ​Data Protection Act
• Colorado​ Privacy Act
• Connecticut Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring Act.

Please note that individual states enforce different personal data and consumer privacy laws. ​There are only 12 states in the US with comprehensive privacy laws, eight of which are yet to come into effect. 

Something to note is that even if you don’t live in a state with privacy laws, you can still request companies to delete your personal information. While they don’t have to comply, many are likely to do so. 

Don’t forget data brokers, either. These are companies that collect your personal information from various sources online and then sell it to anyone who wants it. Luckily, most data brokers let you opt out from their databases – and it doesn’t matter what state you live in. 

Personal Data Deletion

As a response to growing privacy concerns around data collection, several states in the U.S. have adopted laws that give individuals greater control over their personal data.

​According to the US state ​privacy legislation tracker created by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, only 12 states have enacted laws surrounding personal data ​protection and deletion (four of which are currently in effect). Another three have ​introduced bills to increase privacy for consumers. The ​remaining 35 states have inactive bills or no bills at all. 

​What does that mean for you? What ​rights are available to you as a ​consumer in the United ​States? Let’s jump into some of the core privacy laws in the US today to​ help you better ​understand personal data erasure. 

California Consumer Privacy Act & California Privacy Rights Act 

​California is one of the states that prioritizes consumer data and​ privacy most in the United ​States. This is evident by the passing of the California Consumer ​Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights ​Act (CPRA).

Here’s what you need to know about these two laws. 

Right to Delete

​The CCPA ushered in a pivotal right for California consumers: the right to request the deletion of ​their personal data. Upon this request, businesses must remove any collected ​information about the consumer.

​The CPRA further amplifies this provision. Under the CPRA, businesses ​need to honor this ​deletion request and pass the request to any third parties to which they’ve ​either shared or sold ​the consumer’s data so the data can be ​deleted. 

​But there are some exceptions worth noting. Businesses ​are not bound to delete personal ​information if there are legal obligations, regulatory requirements, or other ​specific ​circumstances necessitating data retention.

​The term personal information is also a loosely used term when focusing on these laws. Personal info generally encompasses details directly or indirectly linked with an ​individual or household. This can range from direct identifiers like ​names and addresses to other ​data like browsing history or even certain inferences drawn about the consumer.

​Beyond just the right to delete, consumers can opt ​out of data sales or sharing, ask ​businesses to correct inaccurate information, and limit the reasons companies can use ​sensitive information. 

How to request businesses to delete your personal data 

First, determine which business has collected your personal information. This might be a company with which you’ve directly interacted or one you believe may have your data due to indirect interactions.

Businesses required to comply with the CCPA/CPRA should have an accessible privacy policy on their website. Most companies offer online forms for CCPA/CPRA requests. Fill out all the prompted details and submit the request. You can also find data removal request templates for California residents online. 

Businesses have a stipulated time (usually 45 days, which can be extended to 90 days) to process and respond to your request. They will inform you once the data has been deleted or if there are exceptions that prevent deletion.

If the business doesn’t respond within the stipulated time or if you believe they haven’t adequately addressed your request, you may need to follow up with them.

Tip: The Frequently Asked Questions section on the CCPA site answers common questions people and businesses have about the law. 

Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act

Virginia is another state committed to consumer data and personal privacy protection through the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA). Under the VCDPA, Virginia residents can exercise their right to request businesses to delete personal data. 

Companies must erase this information once a legitimate request is made unless certain exceptions apply. If the business does not comply, they are subject to a financial penalty. 

The VCDPA characterizes personal data as any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. This could range from traditional identifiers, such as names or social security numbers, to more modern data points, like IP addresses or cookie data.

However, the VCDPA does not enforce a private right of action. This means that individual consumers cannot personally sue a company for alleged non-compliance with the VCDPA. Instead, enforcement lies primarily with the state’s attorney general.

While the VCDPA and the CCPA both emphasize the right to data deletion, there are nuanced differences between the two. The CCPA allows consumers to request the deletion of their data and requires businesses to forward this request to the third parties to which the data has been shared or sold.

That’s a provision that does not exist in the VCDPA. Businesses do not need to forward this request to third parties with your data. This can be problematic if your data was already passed along or sold. 

How to request businesses to delete your personal data 

Companies under the VCDPA’s jurisdiction should display their privacy policy on their website. This document will include details or a section highlighting how to execute your “Right to Delete” under the VCDPA.

Craft an email or written request if a specialized form is unavailable. In your correspondence, be clear that you are invoking your “Right to Delete” as specified under the VCDPA. The business has 45 days to respond to your request or 90 days after requesting an extension. 

If the company doesn’t react within the timeframe or you believe they haven’t appropriately addressed your request, you might need to initiate a follow-up.

Colorado Privacy Act

The Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) is Colorado’s response to the growing need for data privacy regulation in the digital era. Like other state-specific privacy laws, the CPA protects consumers and ensures businesses handle personal data responsibly.

Under the CPA, Colorado residents can request that businesses delete the personal data they have collected. Personal data is defined as any data that is linkable to an identified/identifiable individual and can be used to identify them, either on its own or in conjunction with other data. 

Businesses under the CPA must notify consumers about their data collection, processing, and sharing activities. They also must offer consumers an opt-out choice for data collection and processing, especially for targeted advertising. Lastly, businesses must conduct regular data protection assessments for high-risk processing activities, like profiling or selling sensitive data.

The Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) are a critical component of the CPA. These requests empower consumers to exercise their rights, and businesses have 45 days (extendable by another 45 days) to respond. 

How to request businesses to delete your personal data 

First, find the company’s privacy policy on their website. This document should tell you how to make a “Right to Delete” request under the CPA. Submit your request to the data controller. 

The controller may provide an online portal, form, or dedicated email. Be prepared to undergo an identity verification process. This is a safety measure to protect against fraudulent requests and confirm you are the rightful owner of the data.

The controller will either accept your request and delete your data or decline your request. In the latter case, they must provide a valid reason for their decision.

Connecticut Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring Act 

Signed into law on May 10, 2022, the Connecticut Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring Act (CTDPA) is how Connecticut safeguards and protects personal data and privacy for CT residents. 

Like other state-specific data privacy acts, the CTDPA provides Connecticut residents the power to access, correct, delete, and obtain their personal data and opt out of the sale and processing of their information.

Connecticut’s act does not integrate a gross revenue threshold as a condition for compliance. Instead, the focus is on businesses processing personal data of over 100,000 consumers or those handling data of at least 25,000 consumers and deriving a significant portion of their revenue from data sales. 

The act also presents exemptions. It excludes state agencies, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and entities already covered under federal legislation like HIPAA.

How to request businesses to delete your personal data 

Under the CTDPA, consumers have the right to request the deletion of their personal data. Businesses subject to the act are obligated to provide an accessible way for consumers to make the request on their website. This is usually in the privacy policy section. 

After receiving a deletion request, controllers must delete data as soon as practicable, ideally within 15 days. This is a little faster than other states, which enforce 45 or 90 days. 

The data removal request process should be as streamlined as when the consumer initially provided their data, ensuring transparency and ease of navigation for consumers.

How to Delete Your Personal Data from Data Brokers

When sending requests to companies to delete your data, don’t forget data brokers. 

Data brokers are companies that gather your data (like your home address, phone number, and family details) from a wide variety of sources, package it into a profile, and then sell it to advertisers, law enforcement agencies, and other third parties. Basically, more or less anyone with a credit card. 

You can read more about data brokers in our comprehensive guide on them. 

Because most of the information data brokers collect and sell is publicly available, i.e., it comes from social media, public records, etc., they’re not technically breaking the law.

But their business is putting your privacy at risk. Thanks to data broker profiles, which are easily accessible and can sometimes even appear as the first few Google Search results (and appear at the top of other search engines), you are more likely to fall victim to doxxing, harassment, and stalking. They also put you at risk of cybersecurity threats like targeted phishing and identity theft. 

Here’s what a typical data broker profile looks like:

Luckily, you can opt out of data brokers to keep your personal details protected. 

Use our free opt-out guides for step-by-step instructions on how to remove your name from data brokers. Some of our most popular guides include:

• How to remove yourself from Whitepages.
• How to remove yourself from Spokeo.
• How to remove yourself from BeenVerified.
• How to remove yourself from PeopleFinder.
• How to remove yourself from Radaris.
• How to remove yourself from People Background Check.   
• How to remove yourself from TruthFinder.
• How to remove yourself from MyLife.
• How to remove yourself from Intelius. 
• How to remove yourself from Fast People Search
• How to remove yourself from Arrests.org.
• How to remove yourself from CheckPeople.com
• How to remove yourself from Instant Checkmate.

Remember to opt out of data brokers regularly – they will relist your data when they find more of it, even if you had previously opted out. If you’d rather not have to opt out of data brokers manually, you can also subscribe to a data broker removal service like DeleteMe. You can read reviews of our service here.

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If you want to know how to stop companies from selling your data, you’ve come to the right place.

Although not every company you interact with or do business with will sell your data, some will. Depending on where your information ends up, this can result in more targeted ads and scams and increase your likelihood of becoming a victim of identity theft. It can also raise your cybersecurity risks, like clicking on malware in a targeted phishing email. 

This guide will show you how to regain control of your online privacy and stop companies from selling your data. 

How to Stop Companies from Selling Your Data

If you are concerned about companies or apps selling your data, follow this guide to keep your information protected and out of the hands of marketers and other third parties, including hackers and scammers. 

Opt out of data brokers

Data brokers are the primary culprits when it comes to trading in your personal information. 

Data brokers are companies that collect your personal information from various online sources (like social media and public records), combine it into a single profile, and then sell it to more or less anyone with a credit card. 

It’s a good business model. The data brokerage industry is estimated to be worth around $200 billion per year. But your data as an individual isn’t expensive. Data broker profiles can go for as little as $1. Some are offered for free. 

A typical data broker profile can include sensitive information such as:

• Your full name.
• Aliases.
• Home address.
• Phone number.
• Email address. 
• Education history.
• Employment. 
• Family details. 
• Social media accounts.
• …and more! 

Here’s an example of a data broker profile:

There is no limit to who data brokers might sell your data to. This includes marketers looking to run targeted ads, financial institutions assessing credit risks, and other data brokers.

Not all information data brokers have about you will be correct, but that is no reason to rejoice. In the past, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined two data brokers for providing employers with data that suggested employees were potentially sex offenders. 

Good to know: Once “big” data brokers like Acxiom, Spokeo, Epsilon, Experian, and Equifax acquire your information, there is no telling what sources will get their hands on your personal details. 

But you’re not entirely powerless. Many data brokers offer opt-out mechanisms that allow individuals to remove their information from these sites’ databases. 

Something to note is that the opt-out process varies from one broker to the next. For step-by-step instructions on opting out from some of the biggest data brokers on the market today, follow our free opt-out guides.

Popular guides include:

• How to remove yourself from Whitepages. 
• How to remove yourself from Spokeo.
• How to remove yourself from BeenVerified.
• How to remove yourself from PeopleFinder.
• How to remove yourself from Radaris.
• How to remove yourself from People Background Check.   
• How to remove yourself from TruthFinder.
• How to remove yourself from MyLife.
• How to remove yourself from Intelius. 
• How to remove yourself from Fast People Search
• How to remove yourself from Arrests.org.
• How to remove yourself from CheckPeople.com
• How to remove yourself from Instant Checkmate.

You won’t be able to just opt out once. Data brokers relist people’s data when they collect more of it. 

For this reason, you will need to opt out of data brokers regularly. If you’d rather not have to opt out of data brokers manually, you can subscribe to a data broker removal service such as DeleteMe. Read reviews of DeleteMe service here. 

Read the privacy policy

The best way to determine if a company sells your data is to check its privacy policy. 

A privacy policy is a legal document that tells you how a company collects, uses, manages, and discloses your data. It’s a requirement for all companies to publish a public privacy policy for consumers to access. 

Good to know: Just because a company has a public privacy policy does not mean it respects your data or won’t share it with third parties. Yet that’s something that up to 73% of American adults believe. 

In an ideal world, everyone would take the time to read a company’s privacy policy before interacting with it/signing up for an account/using its services. In reality, the vast majority of people never read the privacy policy. 

Most people are just not bothered. But it’s also true that privacy policies are “an incomprehensible disaster” – a conclusion The New York Times reached after reading 150 privacy policies. 

One solution is to use Terms of Service; Didn’t Read, a community project that analyzes and grades major internet services and companies’ privacy policies. 

For example, Google gets a Grade E because they do heavy tracking. In fact, they can collect data about you and store it even if you don’t interact with their services. In the past, they’ve also faced backlash over data breaches.  

Meanwhile, DuckDuckGo gets a Grade A. They do not store your data or allow online tracking. 

Google is well-known for its user data collection and tracking. On the other hand, DuckDuckGo was created to give users back their privacy. These privacy grades reflect that. 

Good to know: Other companies that get poor privacy grades include Apple Services (D), Amazon (E), Microsoft Services, LinkedIn (E), and the vast majority of social networks. 

With Terms of Service; Didn’t Read, you no longer have an excuse for not knowing what a company’s privacy policy says. You can quickly see what grade it gets before using it. 

Take advantage of privacy laws

Depending on where you live, various privacy laws might give you the right to ask companies to delete your data or prevent them from selling it to third parties. 

Although there isn’t a federal privacy law in place in the US (i.e., a GDPR-equivalent), the following states have comprehensive privacy laws:

• California: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). 
• Colorado: Colorado Privacy Act.
• Connecticut: Connecticut Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring Act 
• Delaware: Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act
• Indiana: Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
• Iowa: Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act
• Montana: Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act
• Oregon: Oregon Consumer Privacy Act
• Tennessee: Tennessee Information Protection Act
• Texas: Texas Data Privacy and Security Act
• Utah: Utah Consumer Privacy Act
• Virginia: Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act 

Note that some of the laws are yet to go into effect. For example, in Indiana, the Indiana Data Consumer Protection Act won’t go into effect until the 1st of January, 2026. 

Tip: You can track US state privacy laws via the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) legislation tracker. 

Read our how-to guide to learn how to ask companies to remove your personal information from their systems. 

You can also look for a company’s “Do not sell my personal information” notice and link on their website. 

Other Steps You Can Take to Stop Companies from Selling Your Data

The best way to stop companies from selling your data is not to give it to them in the first place.

To do that, you need to be more mindful of your online activity. Don’t overshare on social media or other places online, use a VPN or a privacy-focused search engine that does not collect information about you, and take the time to remove any personal data you’ve shared online to date. 

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As someone who wants to keep my personal information as private as possible, I realized recently that I should be asking: What does Google know about me? 

Depending on your usage of Google apps, the results may surprise you. 

Fortunately, you can turn off a good amount of Google’s data collection, which will help keep your personal details secure and your online privacy more intact. 

This guide will show you how – as well as how to remove your information from data brokers (companies that are specifically out to collect and sell your private information).

What Does Google Know About Me (And You)?

Here’s what Google knows about you:

Who you are (or who it thinks you are)

Google probably knows your age, whether you’re single or in a relationship, and what kind of pet you have. 

It knows all this and much more through your Google ads profile, an automatically generated profile connected with your user ID that collects data via Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, and other Google products.

How to check your Google account info 

It’s easy to check your Google account and find out what Google knows about you based on your online activity. 

To find out:

1. Go to My Account and log in to your Google account if needed. 
2. Click “Data & Privacy” on the left-hand side of your screen. 
3. Under Personalized Ads, click “My Ad Centre.”  

You’ll see your ad profile. This is who Google thinks you are – and it may or may not be correct. 

Here’s who Google thinks I am:

Funnily enough, it’s wrong in almost every category. 

How to turn off Google account info 

You can turn off or limit the data Google collects by moving through the list of privacy settings. 

One of the most important ones to turn off is “Personalized Ads,” as this is the primary reason that Google collects some of your private information. 

To do that: 

1. Go to My Account and log in to your Google account if needed. 
2. Click “Data & Privacy” on the left-hand side of your screen. 
3. Under Personalized Ads, click “My Ad Centre.”  
4. On the top right of your screen, turn Personalized ads to “Off.”

You can also change partner ad settings to further limit tracking.

To do that:

1. Under the Personalized Ads section in Data and Privacy, click “Partner Ads Settings.”
2. Turn off “Get personalized ads when you visit sites that partner with Google.”

Where you’ve been

Aside from your demographics, interests, and habits, Google tracks user locations by default. This is especially true if you use Google Maps or Google Photos. Users of Google Maps will have every location – meaning city, town, attraction, business, or restaurant – tracked automatically by their mobile devices. 

Google’s Timeline feature allows you to see where you traveled and when. This can be helpful if you’d like to recall a place you’ve visited, but it’s not helpful when that information gets somewhere it shouldn’t.

Users of Google Photos, meanwhile, will have locations tagged and tracked for each photo that they upload.

How to check your location history 

You can see for yourself how much Google has tracked your location history in both Google Maps and Google Photos. 

Use the information Google has on you to decide whether you’d like to turn off location tracking or not.

On Google Maps

To see your Google Maps history:

1. Go to Google Maps (log in if needed) and click the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of your screen. 

2. Click “Your Timeline” in the sidebar menu.
3. Pick “Your Places” and then “Visited” to see everywhere you’ve been to that Google is aware of.

You can do the same on your Android or iPhone by opening Google Maps and clicking on your profile icon. Click “Your Timeline” and go from there.

On Google Photos 

To find out what location data Google Photos has for you:

1. Open the app on your mobile device. 
2. At the bottom, click on “Search.” 
3. Scroll until you see “View All” under the Places section.

You can see similar information (with fewer details) on your computer by going to Google Photos and clicking on the “Info” button (round, with an “i” in it) at the upper right corner of your screen (third icon from the right).

How to pause/turn off your location history 

If you’ve decided that Google’s location tracking is too invasive, turn it off on both services. Here’s how.

On Google Maps

Using your computer:

1. Go to Your Timeline.
2. Click on “Settings.”
3. Click “Pause Location History”.

The process is the same on an iOS device. 

If you’re using an Android device:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Click your profile.
3. Click “Your Timeline.”
4. Select “More.” 
5. Click “Settings and privacy.”
6. Select “Location history is off.”

On Google Photos

Turn off location tracking on Google Photos can be handled fairly simply. Here’s how:

1. Open Google Photos on any device.
2. Click “Settings” in the upper right-hand corner.
3. Click “Sharing.”
4. Select “Hide photo location data.”

What you search online

Google is a company that’s synonymous with search engines, and for good reason. The truth is, however, that Google is very interested in what you’re searching for, and it will keep a record of it unless you purge it.

How to check your Google search history 

You can see everything that Google has recorded for your search history by doing the following:

1. Go to “My Account.”
2. Select “Data & Privacy” on the left.
3. Scroll to “Things you’ve done and places you’ve been” in the main window.
4. In the “History” box just below it, you’ll see a button for My Activity page. Select it to see your searches, app activity, browsing history, and more.

How to delete your Google search history 

You can clear your entire Google search history by scrolling to just under the “Search your activity” search bar. There, you’ll see a “Delete” button with an arrow on it. Click it and then select the date range you want to delete.

Keep in mind, though, that if you have multiple devices (mobile and desktop, for instance), you will need to do a similar process on each of your devices to remove the locally stored record of your Google activity. 

To remove your stored Google search history on an Android or iOS device, open Google, click on your profile icon, and then click “Search history.” From there, you can choose the date range that you’d like to delete.

Tip: For more privacy, consider using a privacy-focused search engine, like DuckDuckGo or Startpage. And remember: Incognito mode is not as private as you may think. Also, while a VPN can hide your IP address from Google, there are other ways for the tech giant to identify you, for instance, through Google Chrome if you’re logged in. 

What you do on YouTube

As the owner of YouTube, Google knows your YouTube search history and watch history, assuming you use it while logged in. 

More intricately, it knows how long you watch particular YouTube videos and what videos you engage most with (by liking or commenting), as well as typically keeping track of keywords associated with each video to use for targeted marketing (“ad personalization”) purposes. 

How to check your YouTube history 

You can see your YouTube history by doing the following:

1. Go to “My Account.”
2. Select “Data & Privacy” on the left.
3. Scroll to “Things you’ve done and places you’ve been” in the main window.
4. In the “History” box just below it, select “YouTube History.” 
5. On the Activity controls page, scroll down and click “Manage history” to see your YouTube history.

How to delete your YouTube history 

There are two ways you can clear your YouTube history.

To delete individual videos, click “X” beside each video under your YouTube history.  

To delete more than one video:

1. Click “Delete” before a list of videos in your history. 

2. Select your date range. Options include “Delete today,” “Delete custom range,” and “Delete all time.” 
3. The next steps will vary depending on your selected option. For example, if you choose “Delete today,” Google will delete all the videos you watched that day. If you click “Delete custom range,” you must first select the date range for which you want to delete the videos. 

What apps/websites you use

How often are you using another site or platform when it offers to let you sign in using your Google account? 

With partnerships around the world, Google user accounts are frequently used to access a range of services. Each time you connect your Google account to a third party, Google will be aware of it. 

You can see what third-party apps, websites, or services are connected to your Google account by going to your Google Account Permissions page. Click the “Sign in with Google” option under the filter selector to see what permissions you have given and to individually revoke them if you no longer are using that service. 

To revoke them, click on the app. On the following page at the bottom, click “Delete all connections you have with X.”

Download Everything Google Knows About You

Google offers a service called Google Takeout that enables you to download up to 49 different kinds of data (pertaining to apps such as Google Drive, Google Calendar, YouTube, and more), either for importing to another service, using as a backup, or having for personal purposes. 

The amount of data you receive can be overwhelming, especially if you are a heavy user of Google services, but the thoroughness is what makes it valuable. 

To get your hands on your data, go to Google Takeout, select what data you’d like, and then click “Next Step” at the bottom of the page. From there, you’ll be asked how and where you want your data delivered.

Who Else Knows A Lot About You?

Google isn’t the only company out there collecting data on you, and it certainly isn’t the only one profiting from that data. 

Data brokers are companies that glean your public information from social media profiles, public records, and other sources and then compile it to be sold in a tidy package to advertisers and other third parties. 

Data brokers include companies like Whitepages, Spokeo, and PeopleFinders, each offering information to anyone trying to find you or sell you something. You can read more about data brokers in our comprehensive guide on them. 

A typical data broker profile includes your personal information like:

• Your full name
• Any known aliases
• Home address
• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation 
• Social media accounts
• Family information 
• Associates and friends 
• Education history
• Job history 
• Property records
• Lawsuit records
• …and more! 

Here’s an example of a data broker profile:

The information obtained by these companies can come from a wide range of sources, including mobile apps that collect your personal info and trackers installed as soon as you visit a website. 

Having your personal data on the marketplace isn’t ideal for online safety and security, but most people don’t realize they can opt out.

How to Opt Out of Data Brokers

Opting out of data brokers is important if you’d like to limit the amount of public information circulating about you on the internet and being exchanged behind the scenes. 

Opting out of data broker databases not only makes it less likely that your information will appear on the first page of Google when someone looks you up online, but it also means that your data will be less likely to be stolen if a data broker’s website is breached.

Opting out requires a bit of effort, and the process isn’t the same for every data broker. 

First, you’ll need to determine what data brokers have an account on you, either by going to their websites individually and searching for yourself or searching for yourself on Google and scrolling through the results to find them. 

Once you’ve identified a data broker with information on you, look through their website to see if they offer an “opt out” form. If they don’t, you’ll need to contact them directly by email and request that they remove your profile. 

Tip: Use our free opt-out guides for step-by-step instructions on how to opt out of some of the biggest data brokers out there. Our popular guides include:

• How to remove yourself from Whitepages.
• How to remove yourself from Spokeo.
• How to remove yourself from BeenVerified.
• How to remove yourself from PeopleFinder.
• How to remove yourself from Radaris.
• How to remove yourself from People Background Check.   
• How to remove yourself from TruthFinder.
• How to remove yourself from MyLife.
• How to remove yourself from Intelius. 
• How to remove yourself from Fast People Search
• How to remove yourself from Arrests.org.
• How to remove yourself from CheckPeople.com
• How to remove yourself from Instant Checkmate.

Unfortunately, even after opting out of data brokers, users have found their profiles reappearing after a certain amount of time. This is because data brokers regularly refresh their databases, rebuilding user profiles each time they gather more data on people. 

In other words, you’ll need to repeat the opt-out process regularly to ensure your information stays private. If you’d rather not perform the opt-out process manually, you can always subscribe to a data broker removal service like DeleteMe. Read DeleteMe reviews here.