Having your phone number listed online might come in handy sometimes. If you’ve ever wanted to contact someone you used to know in order to reconnect, for example, you might have searched their name online to try to find their phone number and give them a call. At the same time, though, leaving your phone number online can make it super easy for strangers and criminals to access it—and you definitely don’t want that! So, what can you do to remove your number from the internet? We’ve got some tips for you below to help you get started.
Start by Figuring Out Where Your Phone Number Has Been Listed
There are a surprising number of websites that you can use to find information, such as phone numbers and addresses, of anyone that you search for online. But you won’t know if your information is on any of those websites until you perform a search of your own name. So, start by going to whichever search engine you use (most people prefer Google, of course). Type in your full name and then browse the results. Compile a list of the websites that have your name and phone number listed and easy to find.
Search for the Opt Out Option on Each Website
It might be a bit unnerving to realize that your personal information, including your phone number, is listed on a lot of different websites. But the good news is that you can tell those websites to take your information down. And the process for doing so is typically straightforward, so you don’t need to worry about moving through any complicated steps to get it done.
For example, a popular source for finding contact information is Whitepages, so you should not be surprised if you find your phone number listed there. You can read through the Whitepages opt out page to access the instructions for how to remove your information. Then, follow the instructions to get it done.
Use One Handy Resource to Remove Your Info from Multiple Sites
Sure, you can go from one website to the next, working your way through all of the individual opt out pages. This will take time, and it can quickly become frustrating. Thankfully, there is an easier and less time-consuming option: you can use one handy resource that will remove your information from more than 100 data broker sites. For example, when you use this FastPeopleSearch opt out page, you can also use it to remove yourself from other sites at the same time. So easy!
Use Whichever Method You Prefer
Sometimes, a simple search on Google will show you all of the sites that host your information. But if the list is too long or you want to be sure you hit all of them, you can use a resource that will do more for you in less time. Or, you can go to individual pages, such as Spokeo opt out, to find instructions on how to ask them to remove your information. Either method can help you keep your info more secure.
Keeping Your Phone Number Private Is Important
If you don’t want strangers getting easy access to your personal info, like your phone number, use the tips above to have that data taken down so it won’t show up in search results any longer.