How to remove your address from the internet
There is no single switch. Remove it at the source, the sites that publish it, and then from Google Search, which only hides results.1, 2
Checked 29 October 2026 against Google, the FTC and CalPrivacy.
The free routes, in order
Each one reaches a different place. All of them are free.
| Where your address shows | What to do | What it removes |
|---|---|---|
| People-search sites | Search for yourself on each site and follow its opt-out steps, then repeat on the next site.2 Start with the checklist. | The listing on that site. Your address may still show in reports about relatives, neighbors or associates.2 |
| Data brokers, if you live in California | One request through DROP.3 | What registered brokers hold about you, except publicly available data, data you gave a business directly and data exempt by law.3 |
| Google Search results | Add your address in Results about you and request removal of each result it finds.1 | The result from Google Search only. The information still exists on the source page.1 |
| Street View | Open the image in Google Maps, select Report a problem, and ask for your home to be blurred.4 | Your home from that imagery. Once blurred, the blur can't be removed.4 |
| Public records | These stay. Opting out of people-search sites doesn't delete your records from public government sources, the FTC says.2 | Nothing at the source. |
Google's Results about you, step by step
Google says some of these features are still rolling out, for adults in certain markets.1
- Open Results about you and select Get started or Settings.In the Google app it is in the menu under your profile picture.1
- Enter your name and your home address.You can add more than one home address, phone number and email address, plus a nickname or maiden name.1
- Turn on notifications.Google says it tells you within a few hours whether any results match, and again when new ones appear.1
- Review the results in the To review tab, and select Request to remove on any you want gone.1
- Check the status under Removal requests: in progress, approved, denied or undone.1
Why it comes back
Records change
If the information in your public records changes, for example after a move, it could reappear for sale on people-search sites. The FTC suggests checking from time to time and opting out again.2
DROP keeps going
Brokers must re-check DROP at least every 45 days and delete new matches, and a request with no match stays on file.3
Questions people ask
Can I remove my address from the internet for free?
Yes. Every route on this page is free. Paid services will opt you out for you; the FTC suggests asking how many sites they cover, whether they report which ones, and how often they re-check.2
Does removing a Google result delete my address?
No. Google says the information still exists on the source page whether your request is approved or denied, and suggests contacting the site's owner.1
Can I remove someone else's address, or a child's?
On Google, use its detailed removal request form for someone else or for a person under 18. A request for someone else made through Results about you may be denied.1
Sources 4
- Find and remove personal info in Google Search results, Google Search Help, undated. Read 29 October 2026.
- What To Know About People Search Sites That Sell Your Information, Federal Trade Commission consumer advice, July 2022. consumer.ftc.gov refused our browser, so we read it through a fetch service and checked the wording against the Internet Archive copy of 6 September 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
- How DROP works, CalPrivacy, undated. privacy.ca.gov refused our browser, so we read it through a fetch service. Read 29 October 2026.
- Blur or remove 360 imagery & Photo Paths, Google Maps Help, undated. Read 29 October 2026.
Every step comes from the official help page for each tool. How we check