Spokeo Opt Out: Personal Information Removal Guide 2024

By Muhid Suleman

Muhid Suleman

Muhid Suleman, An expert writer from Pureprivacy's content team, Dedicate to make data privacy simple and accessible for you. Muhid, Our Content Wizard, weaves tales about online privacy using simple and user friendly procedures. He firmly believes that online privacy is your right and a big deal in the digital jungle.

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7 February 2024
12 mins read

Table of Content

Table of Contents

Did you know that 1 in 2 internet users in America experienced account breaches?

Various malicious practices play significant roles in breaching the privacy of people online. However, there is a new trend.

Use of Data Broker Websites is pervasive and people with malicious intent use the website's sources to harm people. In this article we will talk about how you can opt out of Spokeo to protect your data.

Key Takeaways

Spokeo is an Internet data broker that provides search and reverse lookup services to find detailed information about people.
The platform aims to make it easy and quick for people in the U.S. to locate others and it provides essential personal information.
Privacy concerns appear when your data is located in the Spokeo database.
Users have the option to delete their information from Spokeo.
Pure Privacy is your complete defense against online privacy breaches.

What is Spokeo?

Spokeo is a people's directory search engine that searches information from offline and online sources. These include aspects ranging from social networks to consumer data, business records, historical records, court records, and property records.

They claim that they serve 20 million customers every month and do about half a million searches every day. So far, background checks cover thousands of data sources and have gathered 12 billion records.

In 2006, the company was founded, and since then, it has been successfully sourcing information and conducting significant private investigations. It is also used by police agencies. Users can run searches using a person's name, address, email address, phone number, or username, synthesizing information from multiple data points.

It is worth noting that all the information gathered comes from public records and no sensitive personal information is provided.

However, there are high chances that the information collected from public sources may not be authentic. This inaccurate information can possibly create false narratives about you in the public domain.

Finding Information on Spokeo

Spokeo is a comprehensive tool that allows users to access a plethora of information from billions of records. This is an unlimited database that can rapidly access multiple class-leading data sources and transform the data into a handy report within seconds.

130 million property records, 6 billion consumer records, 3.9 billion historical records, 600 million court records, 89 million business records, and insights from over 120 social networks are some of the numerous records available.

Spokeo's reports are industry-leading and provide helpful information including contact, history of changing of residence, information about the assets, family, and personal data. Furthermore, criminal history and social media accounts can be found easily as well. Users can go through this abundance of information, make the right choices, and gain insightful knowledge.

How Does Spokeo Collect Your Data?

Spokeo collects data from numerous sources including public records, mailing lists, surveys, and public social media profiles.

These datasets are carefully managed by a group of data scientists who continuously refine data to establish meaningful links and maintain relevancy. Spokeo organizes reports in an easy format so they can be understood by users without any difficulty.

One of the unique characteristics of Spokeo is its ability to search social media. This is because the founders of the site initially created it as a social media aggregator.

This is why Spokeo is regarded as one of the major search engines for searching and uncovering social media profiles that are connected to an email or username.

What Does Spokeo Do With Your Information?

Spokeo is a large online search engine that assists users in their efforts to gain knowledge about people, their places of residence, and business premises.

While data brokers have noble purposes, such as reconnecting with old friends, searching for potential business partners, or blocking unknown telephone calls, they can be used for malicious purposes as well.

Many of these companies like Spokeo sell user information to many different entities.

Such practices can put people at risk from aggressive advertisers, marketers, and insurance agents. Additionally, their data can be used and exploited by even more dangerous offenders including fraudsters, identity thieves, online harassers, doxxers, swatters, and stalkers.

Why Is Opting Out of Spokeo Important?

Spokeo is a data broker website and these platforms sell your personal profile to businesses and advertisers.
They divulge your personal information which can reveal your vulnerabilities.
By opting out of Spokeo you can prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands.

How to Opt-Out of Spokeo

You can use two different methods to opt out of Spokeo. We have simplified the steps for you so they can be followed easily. These methods are:

Opting out manually by visiting LocatePeople's official website.
Using PurePrivacy to automate the process.

Method 1: Spokeo Opt-Out - Manual

To manually remove your data from Spokeo, follow these steps.

Go to https://www.spokeo.com/ and search your profile by either your name, phone number, email, address, or username.

Click "Search Now."
Select your profile, and press "See Results".

Copy your Spokeo profile URL.

Access Spokeo's opt-out form at https: //www.spokeo.com/optout

Paste the profile URL you copied earlier, and provide your email address (mention a temporary one).
Repeat the reCaptcha challenge and press "Opt Out."
Check your mailbox for a confirmation link from Spokeo sent by [email protected]

Click the link to confirm.
You will get a confirmation message that your opt-out request has been processed by Spokeo.

Opt Out Confirmation Message From Spokeo

Spokeo should remove your profile within 72 hours.

Method 2: Use PurePrivacy For Permanent Opt-out

PurePrivacy is an all-in-one package for protecting your online presence and privacy. It provides internet security so that no one unauthorized can access your emails, steal your data, or pretend to be you on online platforms.

How Does PurePrivacy Work?

Remove My Data Feature

PurePrivacy helps you take control of your privacy by assisting you in connecting with data brokers such as Truthfinder to delete your data. It needs your permission once you register.

PurePrivacy lets you customize your social media privacy settings, offers suggestions for improvement, and allows you to change your preferences with a single click.

Block Online Trackers and Browse Safely

It improves safe browsing with the help of online trackers blocking, prеvеnting misusе, and rеducing thе number of targeted advertisements. It doesn't provide your personal information to websites without your permission.

Steps to Opt-Out Using PurePrivacy

From web app:

● Visit the PurePrivacy website.

● Sign up to PurePrivacy.

● Create your profile.

● Provide us your consent.

● Once you allow authorization the opt out process will begin. Pure Privacy automatically starts the monitoring & opt out process for your information. First ask them if they have your data or not. If they have simply opted out of data on behalf of you. This all process was done within a short period of time. Also Send a weekly email summary that combines and summarizes the activity related to removing data.

From Mobile App (Android & IOS):

● Launch PurePrivacy mobile app.

● Signup or Login to your account.

● Enter Details to create your profile.

● Allow us your express authorization to start the opt out process.

● Once you allow authorization the opt out process will begin. Pure Privacy automatically starts the monitoring & opt out process for your information. First ask them if they have your data or not. If they have simply opted out of data on behalf of you. This all process was done within a short period of time. Also Send a weekly email summary that combines and summarizes the activity related to removing data.

Manual Opt-Out Vs. PurePrivacy

Manual Opt-Out Method

It demands your input to continue and complete the process.
You cannot influence or make changes to the platform's policy.
You have to give your input throughout.
It may involve technical settings and procedures.
The opt-out method is often complex and lengthy.

PurePrivacy

It automatically secures your privacy.
It configures your security settings in advance.
It runs silently in the background to secure your privacy.
It is simple and easy to use.
It is fast and works with just one click.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are people's search sites legal?

Yes. According to the US Federal Trade Commission, data brokers and other similar organizations can circulate personal information online without breaking federal regulations as most of this information originates from public records.
How can I opt out of Spokeo's data collection?

To delete your data from Spokeo, find details about your profile on the website. Copy the profile URL and visit the opt-out page. Complete and send the opt-out form. You will receive a confirmation link to complete the removal request and Spokeo will remove your data within 72 hours.
How long will it take to process my request to opt out of Spokeo?

Manual removal of data from the Spokeo website might take 78 hours before your information is removed. However, if you want to get your information removed urgently, PurePrivacy makes the process simpler, quicker, and more efficient.
Why should I provide my details when completing the Spokeo opt-out form?

To locate your data on the Spokeo database and delete the record, you need to provide your personal information. It is recommended that you copy the profile URL once the match is found so you don’t have to write your details again.
Which opt-out method guarantees the removal of your data from Spokeo?

Using PurePrivacy guarantees the complete removal of your information because Spokeo and other brokers receive automated opt-out requests from PurePrivacy on your behalf. It also helps in saving your time and your data gets removed from multiple databases at once.

Simplify your online presence with PurePrivacy

With PurePrivacy, make sure all your personal data remains safe without a hassle!

Try Pureprivacy

Take Responsibility for Your Privacy!

The Internet is an unpredictable place. You never know what information is being written about you and what kind of narratives are being pushed. Data broker websites like Spokeo are undoubtedly beneficial when used for noble purposes. Unfortunately, these platforms are being used unethically as well. If your information is stored in Spokeo Database, use PurePrivacy to remove it not only from Spokeo but also from other databases.