What is a people-search site?

A people-search site lets anyone look up a name, phone, or address and see a profile built mostly from public records and commercial data, often including address, phone, and relatives.1 It is the consumer-facing slice of data brokering, not an FCRA background-check service for hiring or lending.2 Many sites offer free opt-outs; listings can return when sources refresh.

Frequently asked questions

Are people-search sites the same as data brokers?

People-search sites are a type of data broker: searchable public profiles. The broader term also covers marketing and risk firms that may never show a public people-search page. See what is a data broker.

Is it legal for someone to search me?

Searching public people-search results is generally legal. Using the data for FCRA-covered decisions, meaning employment, credit, housing, or insurance, can be illegal even when the site's terms forbid it.

Can I remove myself?

Often yes, via each site's opt-out. Expect re-checks. Guides: how to remove yourself from data brokers, remove yourself from Spokeo, remove yourself from Whitepages.

Can one request clear every site?

No. There is no universal US delete-all button for everyone. Some states add rights and registries, and California's Delete Act is a separate, jurisdiction-specific path, so national coverage shouldn't be assumed.

What does a Delist free scan check?

The open-web footprint we check: people-search sites, public records, data brokers, and breach-source signals (signals are not listings). Not dump membership, and not a guarantee of every brand.