People-search sites (also known as people search engines, people finder sites, public data brokers, or reverse lookup sites) are companies that collect your personal data from a wide range of public and commercial sources with the primary goal of profiting from it.
They aggregate and sell as much of your personal information as they can, including:
- Government and public records such as court filings, real estate property and tax assessor records, liens and mortgages, driver’s license records, motor vehicle records, voter registrations, telephone directories, real estate listings, birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, professional licenses, recreational (hunting and fishing) licenses, and census demographic data.
- Information published on social media, professional profiles, blogs, and forums.
- Details consumers directly provide to retailers, marketers, and researchers through warranty cards, sweepstakes entries, contests, and surveys.
- Hobbies, preferences, and interests sourced from retailers, streaming services, travel sites, and media platforms.
While people-search sites are widely used for legitimate purposes—such as reconnecting with relatives, classmates, or lost friends, or researching neighbors and potential dates—they also have a darker side. These platforms are frequently exploited by scammers, stalkers, and cybercriminals. They use the aggregated data to locate individuals, assess their financial and social situations to determine if they're worth targeting, and even steal identities. For example, criminals can gather details needed to answer security questions when hijacking bank accounts.
To protect your privacy and reduce the risks outlined above, we recommend removing your data from people-search sites through their opt-out processes. While you can handle this yourself, the process can be time-consuming and requires ongoing monitoring to ensure your information doesn’t reappear. Alternatively, using a service like Onerep can simplify the process, save time, and provide consistent monitoring to keep your personal information off these platforms.