Remove Phone Listing
I just did a search for my phone number on Google and was shocked at the results that popped up. It showed my full name, street address and a map of my neighborhood with a big arrow pointing to my house! One more click and it showed a satellite photo of my house. I could see the car in the driveway and the dog in the back yard. How can I remove my personal information from Google and other online phone directories?
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Should You Remove Your Listing From Online Phone Directories?
I agree that it can be a bit of a shock to learn that some information you thought was private, is in fact very public. You've known all your life that your name, address and phone number are in the phone book. It's common sense that your neighborhood can be found on a map of your city. And satellite photos are nothing new. But websites that combine all of this information, and make it easy to find and act on... that's unsettling news to a lot of people.
But should it be? Seven years ago, Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy said "You have zero privacy... get over it." As more and more public information becomes available online (such as property ownership records, voter registration, political donations, court filings) and more people willingly post private information online (think Myspace, YouTube, photo sharing, genealogy) we do become a much more transparent society.
That transparency can be both good and bad. It allows good, law-abiding citizens to easily find information that can help them educate and protect themselves. But it also enables miscreants to quickly gain access to information that can be used to perpetrate identity theft and other crimes. My personal opinion is that the potential for good outweighs the prospects for evil, because this wealth of information is freely available to everyone. But if you disagree, or feel uncomfortable about how others can access public information about you, read on.
Remove Me, Please
If you want to remove your listing from the most popular online telephone directories, here are the links and instructions to do so. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover all the major sources, and most of the smaller ones are powered by the databases of the ones below.
- Google PhoneBook - Visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/pbremoval.html
- InfoSpace - You can delete your listing by searching the InfoSpace White Pages to find your listing. Once you have located it, click the update or remove link.
- Switchboard.com - To remove your listing, search for it at Switchboard.com then click the Update your listing link beside it. You can also send your listing (include name, address, and phone number) to webmaster@switchboard.com and enter Delete in the Subject field.
- Yahoo People Search - Visit http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/yps/listings/yps-06.html
- Verizon SuperPages - Visit http://www.whitepages.com/10866/cust_serv/removal_form
- WhitePages.com - To remove a listing, search for it at WhitePages.com. Then click on Privacy Concerns? Remove this listing from WhitePages.com at the bottom of the page.
- AnyWho - Visit http://www.anywho.com/help/privacy_list.html
- Addresses.com - http://www.addresses.com/feedback.php
- Intelius/Intelifinder - Visit http://find.intelius.com/emailcontact.php or contact Customer Service at 425-974-6100.
- ZabaSearch - Send an email to info@zabasearch.com and you will receive instructions on how to remove your listing from their database.
- AOL White Pages - powered by Infospace (see above)
- Lycos WhoWhere - powered by Verizon SuperPages (see above)
Other Privacy Boosters
As I mentioned above, even if you get your phone listing removed from all of the directories above, it still might be found by a search elsewhere. Do a search for your phone number at both Google and Yahoo, then follow up on any hits by contacting the site's owner or webmaster. The Whois database can help you find the registered owner of a site if there is no contact info provided.
Another option is to get a new unlisted phone number. Most phone companies charge a small fee for this, but it is very effective because all of the major phone directories update their web databases at least quarterly, and the ones that don't update will have your old incorrect number.
For further reading on privacy and online security, I recommend these articles:
Got something to say about online privacy? Post your comments below...
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Posted by Bob Rankin on November 21, 2006 09:23 PM
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Most recent comments on "Remove Phone Listing"
(See all 20 comments for this article.)|
Posted by:
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I am begining the long process of removing my info from the net. an wondering if there is a list similar to the do not call list for telemarketers? I was suprised when a listing had all my info, I am now in the process of obtaining a p.o box as well so all my mail goes there. EDITOR'S NOTE: If you mean a "do not email" registry, there is no such thing on a national level in the USA. Some states have attempted this, but even the FTC says it's not a feasible idea. |
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Thanks, Bob, for an invaluable resource. There is yet another directory website that lists my private info, but I don't see it on your how-to-remove list. That one is: EDITOR'S NOTE: People Lookup is not a phone directory site. It's a paid service to provide more detailed information such as background checks, criminal records, real estate records, etc. You can't remove your info from this service, because they pull from a variety of public and gov't databases. |
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Bob, Wow. You've done such a public service, and for FREE! Thank you so much for helping me thru the maze. I can't believe I'm EVERYWHERE and its very upsetting as a single mom. Its going to take a while to get me removed from all of these places as I'm now finding out its no easy task. I've put you in my favorites. Please update when needed so I can keep 'removing' myself. |
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There is another search site called freeality.com This site gives multiple ways to find information. I haven't used all of them, so I don't know if they are connected to the sites you've already mentioned. |
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Is there really a way you can manually remove your phone number from an automated calling system by pressing the # or * key continuously? I was told that many automated calling services call your number and record the time that a number is answered so the telemarketer can call again (in person) during that time. EDITOR'S NOTE: I doubt that's true... if so it would be too easy to get off those lists. |
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A BIG Thank You! I have been trying to delete these listings and it's frustrating! You have been so helpful. Also, Thanks for the update on Infospace. I was having a heck of a time deleting my post until I saw your opt out link. One question. If Identity theft is so popular, why is it that the Internet makes it so easy to gain access to our homes and telephones? I understand it's "public" information, but I think if someone wants to find you, they should have to go to the local county court. Why are they making it so easy? I have also signed up for your newsletter and look forward to more of your ideas! |
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Posted by:
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Hi..Can you tell us an easier way to remove our listing from Intelius, other than faxing them? |
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could i filter do not call list numbers from any directory or please suggest me a directory that is without do dnc. |
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I have the problem with phone book in my nokia 6300. |
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I am not able to remove my name from the optout options on switchboard or infospace. It keeps telling me that my criteria doesn't match their records even thought I copied exactly as it appears. Any suggestions? Thanks. |
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Remove Phone Listing (Posted: November 21, 2006 09:23 PM)
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Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved