How to Opt Out of Whitepages

Considering that Whitepages has more than 200 million records, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say your information may be on there. When we looked up our records on the aggregator site, we found it way too fast. Even though it’s not as much as the data Big Tech companies have on us, seeing our details readily available online still gave us a chill down our spine.

As experts in the security space, we’ve found that having personal information easily accessible online comes with risks. That’s why we put together this guide, to walk you through the Whitepages opt-out process and reclaim your personal digital security. We’ll also explain how Whitepages sources information, what it does with your data, the risks that come with that, and several ways you can protect yourself.

The whole process of removing our data from Whitepages took around 10 minutes, but that can vary and may take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Just because your neighbor’s personal information is online, doesn’t mean yours has to be too.

What Is Whitepages?

Whitepages is a people-search site or online directory where you can obtain people’s information for a fee. It helps users gather details like addresses, phone numbers, and other background information. Not only can users find information about one individual, but they can also view details on relatives and associates.

While it can be helpful for background checks and to verify identities, it also increases the risk of data leaks, misuse of your personal information, identity theft, fraud, scams, spam, and more. In fact, account takeover fraud typically starts with the perpetrator gathering basic information they find on sites like Whitepages.

By now, you might be asking yourself how your details ended up on Whitepages. Well, it adds information to its database by using public records, financial records, criminal history, educational and employment history, property records, utility bills, voter registration lists, and more. So, even if you take all the steps to remain anonymous online, your information can still end up on Whitepages.

Whitepages isn’t the only database that may have your information. However, it’s one of the most popular sites. Understanding how to remove yourself can help you take control of your sensitive information. Minimizing your online presence can also decrease the risk of your information getting into the wrong hands. So, let’s get into how you can go through the Whitepages opt-out process.

How Do I Opt Out of Whitepages?

You can request that your information get removed from Whitepages in more than one way. We’ll walk you through two of the best options. We call them the best because they’re the most efficient, simple, and straightforward ways we’ve found that actually work.

>> Read More: Securing Confidential Personal Data Both Online and Offline

You can either remove your information manually or you can use a data removal service. The manual route takes around 10 to 20 minutes, is free, and only involves eight steps. Still, the data removal service is our preferred method, because it creates the request for you and requests removal of your data on hundreds of other data broker sites as well. The only downfall to this is that it’s not free. However, some services, like Incogni by Surfshark, cost a little more than a cup of coffee per month. If you ask us, that’s a fair price to pay to keep your data secure.

How to Remove Your Data Manually From Whitepages

1. Head to whitepages.com and search for your name.

2. Click on “View Details” next to the profile that best matches your identity.

So, again, just scroll down and click on the “View Details” button next to your profile.

3. Once you land on your profile, hover over the search bar on your browser and copy that URL.

4. Paste your profile URL in the Whitepages opt-out form at whitepages.com/suppression-requests. Once your URL is in the box, click “Next.”

5. Confirm your Whitepages profile on the next screen. Then, click “Remove Me” to proceed to the next step.

6. Select a reason for opting out of Whitepages. Click on the drop-down menu and select one of the reasons for wanting to opt out. Once a reason is selected, you’ll be able to click “Next” to proceed.

7. Enter your phone number to verify your identity with a phone call. Then, click “Call now to verify.”

8. You’ll receive a confirmation code that you’ll need to share on the phone call.

9. After you enter your confirmation code, your screen should automatically refresh.

You’ll see a confirmation message in green appear. That means your request was accepted.

But that doesn’t mean your information is off Whitepages entirely. Whitepages has “Premium” listings, which have a lot more private and sensitive information. Because those listings are separate from the public ones we just found, your request won’t work or remove data from any “Premium” listings.

Also, if there’s more than one record for you, you’ll have to repeat these steps for each profile.

Use a Data Removal Service to Opt Out of Whitepages

When you manually remove your information from any database, it’s not guaranteed that they won’t add it back in the future. In fact, most broker sites continuously update their databases. That means when new information about you is made available through some public record, it’ll most likely wind up on one of these sites.

Given what we know, we favor using a data removal service because it doesn’t just request the removal of your data once from one site. Most removal services will do this across hundreds of data broker sites on a regular basis. The best part? You don’t have to do anything but pay a small fee. If you’re not sure where to start, we suggest taking a look at Incogni by Surfshark. It requests the removal of your data from more than 180 broker sites for less than $7 per month.1 And for that $7 per month, you also get the same Surfshark VPN we reviewed and loved.

Should You Opt Out of Whitepages?

Something we’ve learned from being part of the cybersecurity world is that the less spread out personal information is, the less risk there is. Risk can come in many shapes and sizes, but in this case, we’re talking about keeping your contact information and sensitive details out of the hands of the wrong individuals. Keeping your personal information off the internet is one of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft.

>> Learn More: Protecting Customers: A Guide to Consumer Data Security

Because Whitepages collects a shockingly large amount of details about you, it’s easy for your personally identifiable information to get used incorrectly and without your consent. Not to mention, there are more advanced tools made to scrape even more details and sensitive information. For scammers, Whitepages gives them a solid start when it comes to making you a victim of identity theft. So, should you opt out of Whitepages? We think so — especially if you want to maximize your data security.

Recap: How to Opt Out of Whitepages

Going through the Whitepages opt-out process is a major step in protecting your identity, keeping your sensitive information secure, maximizing your privacy, and controlling your online presence. Given how much personal data Whitepages has on individuals, getting it removed is something you should seriously consider. This database is one of the most popular in the industry, with over 200 million records.

Typically, the broker site will pull information from various sources, including public records, marriage licenses, educational and employment history, criminal history, real estate records, financial data, social media activity, and more. All of this increases the likelihood of data leaks, identity theft, scams, spam, unsolicited communications, and other possible malicious activity.

To opt out, you can either follow the steps above to do it manually or you can use a data removal service that does it for you. Whichever route you choose, deciding to move forward with an opt out can greatly mitigate risk online.