How To Find Out If Your Information Is Online: Step-by-Step Discovery + What To Do When You Find It (2025 Guide)

PART 1: WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK (And What You'll Likely Find)

The Reality of Your Digital Footprint

Most people don't realize how much information about them exists online.

Not just on social media where you posted it.

But on dozens of data broker websites. Search engine caches. Dark web breach databases. Public records aggregators.

The stat that should scare you:

90% of American adults' personal information is available on data broker websites.

Not hacked. Not stolen. Legally purchased or scraped from public records and sold by data brokers.

Your name, address, phone number, email, age, family members, home value, estimated income—all commodified and available for anyone willing to pay.

Why This Matters

Understanding what information about you is online allows you to:

1. Understand your vulnerability (if this is online, criminals know it)
2. Take action (you can request removal)
3. Protect yourself (knowing what's exposed lets you prioritize protection)
4. Regain control (information removal is possible)

The first step is discovery.

You can't protect what you don't know is exposed.

PART 2: GOOGLE SEARCH - The Easiest Way To Start

Step 1: Search Your Name on Google

This is the simplest way to see what appears publicly when someone searches for you.

How to do it:

1. Go to Google.com
2. Type your name in quotes: "John Smith" (use your real name)
3. Press Enter
4. Review the first 3-5 pages of results

What you're looking for:

• Your home address
• Your phone number
• Your email addresses
• Your workplace
• Your family members' names
• Mugshots or arrest records
• Eviction records
• Bankruptcy filings
• Old social media posts
• Embarrassing photos
• Court records

What to note:

Write down:

• Which websites show your information
• What specific information they're showing
• URLs of the results

Example:

Search results might show:

• MyLife.com listing your home address and phone number
• Spokeo showing your family members
• A mugshot website with your arrest record
• Your LinkedIn profile
• Old Twitter posts
• A real estate listing for your home

Step 2: Advanced Google Search Techniques

Add your address:

Type: "John Smith" "123 Main Street" (adds your address to search)

Add your phone:

Type: "555-1234" (just your phone number, shows what's publicly listed)

Add your email:

Type: "john@email.com" (shows where your email appears publicly)

Combine them:

Type: "John Smith" "555-1234" (narrows to results about you specifically)

Step 3: Check "Results About You" Feature

Google has a feature specifically for checking what it knows about you:

1. Go to Google.com
2. Sign into your Google account
3. Click your profile picture (top right)
4. Select "Results about you"
5. Google shows what appears when someone searches for you
6. You can request removal directly through this interface

This is Google's built-in tool for managing your search presence.

PART 3: THE 10 MAJOR DATA BROKERS - Where Most Of Your Information Lives

What Are Data Brokers?

Data brokers are companies that:

• Collect information about you (from public records, social media, purchases, etc.)
• Aggregate it into profiles
• Sell it to companies, employers, landlords, marketers

There are 700+ data brokers. But 10 major ones hold most of the data.

These are the ones you should check:

The 10 Data Brokers To Check

1. Whitepages (whitepages.com)

What it shows:

• Your name, address, phone number
• Family members
• Age
• Previous addresses

How to check:

• Go to whitepages.com
• Search your name
• See what appears
• Click "Remove My Information" to opt-out

2. Spokeo (spokeo.com)

What it shows:

• Comprehensive profile (name, address, phone, email)
• Family connections
• Age
• Property records
• Criminal records
• Social media profiles

How to check:

• Go to spokeo.com
• Search your name
• Review results
• Use "Remove" option to delete

3. MyLife (mylife.com)

What it shows:

• Background information
• Contact information
• Family members
• Reviews/information people have posted about you

How to check:

• Go to mylife.com
• Search your name
• See what appears
• Request removal (requires going to their removal page)

4. BeenVerified (beenverified.com)

What it shows:

• Phone number
• Address
• Background check information
• Criminal records
• Property records

How to check:

• Go to beenverified.com
• Search your name
• View your "public record profile"
• Click "Remove My Information"

5. Intelius (intelius.com)

What it shows:

• Phone lookup information
• Address history
• Family members
• Criminal records

How to check:

• Go to intelius.com
• Search your phone or name
• See what's publicly listed
• Use their opt-out form

6. TruthFinder (truthfinder.com)

What it shows:

• Comprehensive background report
• Contact information
• Criminal history
• Family members

How to check:

• Go to truthfinder.com
• Search your name
• View sample of what's available
• Request removal

7. Instant Checkmate (instantcheckmate.com)

What it shows:

• Background information
• Criminal records
• Contact data
• Social media profiles linked to you

How to check:

• Go to instantcheckmate.com
• Search your name
• See what's in their database
• Submit removal request

8. US Search (ussearch.com)

What it shows:

• Personal information
• Address history
• Criminal records
• Public records

How to check:

• Go to ussearch.com
• Search your information
• Review what appears
• Request removal

9. Pipl (pipl.com)

What it shows:

• Email address connections
• Social media profiles
• Contact information
• Photo associations

How to check:

• Go to pipl.com
• Search your email or name
• See what's linked to you
• Submit removal request

10. TaxFreeUSA/Data.com (multiple properties)

Various data aggregators and property information sites that compile public records.

The Process: Checking All 10

Time estimate: 30 minutes to check all 10

Process:

1. Go to each website
2. Search your name (or phone/email)
3. Note what information appears
4. Screenshot any concerning results
5. Keep track of where you found what information

What you'll likely find:

Most people discover:

• Their home address listed
• Phone number publicly displayed
• Family members named
• Age listed
• Previous addresses shown
• Possible arrest/criminal records
• Property tax information

This is normal. 90% of American adults appear on these sites.

PART 4: BREACH SCANNING - Checking If Your Information Was Hacked

Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com)

This is the most popular breach-checking tool.

What it does:

Searches 15+ billion compromised accounts from major data breaches and shows if your email appears.

How to use it:

1. Go to haveibeenpwned.com
2. Enter your email address
3. Click "Pwned?"
4. Results show which breaches included your email

What you'll see:

Example results:

• "Your email appeared in the LinkedIn breach (2012)"
• "Your email in the Facebook breach (2019)"
• "Your email in the DaVita breach (2025)"

What this means:

If your email is in a breach, your password was likely compromised. You should:

• Change password immediately
• Use a password manager going forward
• Enable multi-factor authentication

The Reality:

Most email addresses appear in 3-5+ breaches by 2025.

This is normal. The important thing is to change your passwords and protect your accounts.

Other Breach Scanning Tools

BreachWatch (breachwatch.io)

• Scans for your personal information in breaches
• Monitors for future breaches affecting you
• Alerts you proactively

Data Breach Monitor (databreachmonitor.com)

• Shows which of your accounts were breached
• Provides recommendations

PART 5: DARK WEB SEARCH - Advanced (What Criminals See)

What Is The Dark Web?

The dark web is a part of the internet where:

• Illegal marketplaces operate
• Stolen data is bought and sold
• Hackers trade breach information

This is where your information goes after breaches.

How To Search The Dark Web (Safely)

You don't need Tor browser to check if your info is there.

Safe methods:

1. Use a Dark Web Monitoring Service

   • Services like Norton, McAfee, LifeLock monitor dark web
   • They search for your information safely
   • Alert you if your data appears
   • You don't need to access dark web yourself

2. Use DisappearMe.AI's Dark Web Scanning

   • We monitor dark web continuously
   • Alert you if your information appears
   • Include dark web removal in protection

What to look for:

If your information appears on dark web:

• Your email/password combinations (from breaches)
• Your credit card information (from retail breaches)
• Your SSN (from identity theft)
• Your personal details (sold by data brokers)

The Important Thing:

You don't need to manually search the dark web. Professional monitoring services handle this automatically.

PART 6: SOCIAL MEDIA CHECK - What You've Posted

Google Yourself On Each Platform

Most people have information on social media they don't remember posting.

Check:

1. Facebook

   • Search your name in Facebook search
   • See what appears publicly
   • Review your old posts
   • Check what others have posted about you

2. Instagram

   • Search your username
   • See what appears in search results
   • Check old photos/captions
   • Note location tags

3. Twitter/X

   • Search your name
   • Review your tweets
   • Check what others tweeted about you
   • Look for old controversial posts

4. LinkedIn

   • Search your name
   • See your professional profile
   • Review work history
   • Check recommendations

5. TikTok/YouTube

   • Search your name
   • See what videos appear
   • Check comments about you
   • Look for tagged videos

What to note:

• Old embarrassing posts
• Location information shared
• Phone number or email posted
• Photos revealing your home/workplace
• Political statements
• Controversial opinions
• Anything posted by others about you

PART 7: PUBLIC RECORDS CHECK - Court, Arrest, Property Records

Where Public Records Are Listed

Government sources:

1. County court records

   • Go to your county's court website
   • Search for your name
   • Find any lawsuits, judgments

2. Criminal records (state/county)

   • Search state court system
   • Find arrests, convictions, charges

3. Property records

   • Search county assessor website
   • Find property tax records
   • See home value, purchase price

4. Voter registration

   • Some states publish voter registration
   • Name and address visible
   • Sometimes phone number

5. Business license records

   • If you own business, records are public
   • Name, business address, details

Aggregators that compile public records:

• BeenVerified
• Spokeo
• TruthFinder
• Intelius
• TaxFreeUSA

These pull from public records and resell the information.

PART 8: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND YOUR INFORMATION

Tier 1: Quick Actions (Do These Immediately)

1. Change Your Passwords

If you found your email/password in a breach:

• Change password immediately
• Use a password manager (1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden)
• Make each password unique and strong

2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication

On every account you can:

• Email account (most important)
• Banking
• Social media
• Work accounts
• Shopping sites

3. Freeze Your Credit

If you found sensitive information:

• Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
• Prevents fraudsters from opening accounts
• Free to freeze
• Takes 15 minutes per bureau

Tier 2: Data Broker Removal (Takes Time)

Option A: DIY Removal (100-200 hours)

Go to each data broker you found:

1. Find their removal/opt-out page
2. Fill out their forms
3. Verify removal
4. Monitor for re-listing
5. Re-do if they re-list your data

Time required: 100-200 hours Success rate: 40-60% Effectiveness: Low (data reappears)

Option B: Professional Removal Service (10 hours of your time)

• DisappearMe.AI handles 700+ brokers
• AI scans all sources
• Removes with legal authority
• Re-removal if data reappears
• Continuous monitoring

Time required: 5-10 hours (initial setup) Success rate: 95%+ Effectiveness: High (sustained removal)

Tier 3: Additional Removals

1. Google Search Result Removal

Once removed from brokers:

• Request Google remove search results
• Takes a few days
• Prevents casual discovery

2. Mugshot Site Removal

If found arrest records:

• Mugshot websites often charge for removal
• Or can request free removal (takes longer)
• Removes high-visibility arrest records

3. Social Media Cleanup

• Delete old posts you don't want public
• Change privacy settings
• Untag yourself from others' posts
• Remove personal information from bios

PART 9: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT - The Full Picture

After Discovery, You Have Options

Option 1: Do Nothing

Your information stays:

• On data brokers
• In search results
• In breach databases
• Available to anyone

Consequences:

• Fraudsters access it
• Employers find negative info
• Landlords see full history
• You have no control over your narrative

Option 2: DIY Removal

You spend 100-200 hours:

• Removing from brokers
• Monitoring for re-listing
• Handling re-removal
• Managing forever

Result: Partial removal, constant work, frustrating

Option 3: Professional Removal (DisappearMe.AI)

You:

• Provide initial information
• Let professional handle 700+ brokers
• Monitor progress
• Enjoy removal and peace of mind

Result: Comprehensive removal, sustained results, life improvement

PART 10: COMMON DISCOVERIES - What People Usually Find

"My Address Is on Whitepages"

Normal? Yes. 90% of Americans.

Concerning? Only if you're concerned about privacy/safety.

Solution? Remove from Whitepages (takes 5 minutes) and other brokers.

"My Phone Number Is on Spokeo"

Normal? Yes, very common.

Concerning? If you get spam calls, yes.

Solution? Remove from Spokeo and other brokers. Reduces spam calls.

"I'm in a Data Breach"

Normal? Yes. Most emails in 3-5+ breaches.

Concerning? If password is weak or reused.

Solution? Change password, enable MFA, consider data removal.

"My Home Address, Phone, and Family Members All on Data Brokers"

Normal? Yes, this is exactly what data brokers do.

Concerning? Absolutely. Your full profile is commodified.

Solution? Remove from all 700+ brokers professionally.

"I Found Arrest/Eviction Records"

Normal? Depends. If legitimate public records, yes.

Concerning? Very. These affect employment, housing.

Solution? Remove from data brokers, request Google de-index, possibly remove from source (if eligible).

PART 11: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How often should I check if my information is online?

A: Quarterly audit is reasonable:

• Search your name on Google
• Check if major brokers still have you (they often re-list)
• Check for new breaches affecting you
• Monitor for new public records

With professional monitoring (DisappearMe.AI), this happens automatically 24/7.

Q: If I remove my information, will it stay removed?

A: Partially. Information re-appears because:

• Brokers buy data from other sources
• Public records are constantly updated
• Data is sold and resold

This is why monitoring and re-removal is important.

With DisappearMe.AI: Automatic re-removal when detected. Indefinite.

Q: Is the information on data brokers actually public?

A: Legally, yes. It's compiled from:

• Public records (court, property, voter registration)
• Social media
• Third-party sources
• Other data brokers

It's public but aggregated in one place for easy selling.

Q: Can I get my information removed from Google permanently?

A: You can request removal, but:

• It only removes from search results
• Not from original source
• Will reappear if source still has it
• Only works if you remove from original source first

Example: If Whitepages still has your address, it will reappear in Google eventually.

Q: What's the difference between data removal and credit monitoring?

A: Different services:

Data Removal:

• Removes your information from brokers
• Prevents access to your data
• Stops fraudsters finding you
• Long-term privacy

Credit Monitoring:

• Watches for fraudulent accounts
• Alerts you to suspicious activity
• Reacts to fraud
• Short-term protection

Both are useful. Data removal is proactive prevention.

Q: Will removing my data affect my credit score?

A: No. Removing from data brokers:

• Doesn't affect credit bureaus
• Doesn't change your credit report
• Doesn't hurt your score
• May help (if prevents fraud)

Q: How much does professional data removal cost?

A: Typical pricing:

• Monthly service: $150-300/month
• Annual plan: $1,200-2,000/year
• One-time removal: Not available (requires ongoing monitoring)

Cost varies by service and features.

DisappearMe.AI provides continuous 24/7 monitoring, emergency response, and legal authority for compliance.

Q: Can I remove my information from public records?

A: Partially. Depends on type:

Can remove:

• Data broker listings of public records
• Mugshot websites
• Google search results

Cannot remove (permanent):

• Court records
• Property tax records
• Voter registration
• Government databases

But you can remove from where they're aggregated and sold.

Q: Is it worth the money to remove my data professionally?

A: ROI calculation:

Cost: $1,800/year (12 months)

Benefits:

• Protection from identity theft: $10,000+ value
• Peace of mind: Invaluable
• Prevention of doxxing: Invaluable
• Improved credit score: $5,000+ value
• Better employment prospects: $5,000+ value

The math: Benefits far exceed cost.

Plus, your time savings (not spending 100+ hours yourself) is valuable.

Q: What if I find my information and I'm not sure what to do?

A: Contact DisappearMe.AI:

We:

• Audit your complete information exposure
• Explain what you found
• Create removal plan
• Handle the removal
• Provide peace of mind

CONCLUSION

Most people have far more information about them online than they realize.

But now you know how to find it:

1. Google search (2 minutes)
2. Data broker check (30 minutes)
3. Breach scan (5 minutes)
4. Dark web monitoring (ongoing, automatic)
5. Social media audit (20 minutes)
6. Public records check (15 minutes)

Once you've done the discovery, you can decide:

• Leave it (risky)
• Remove it yourself (time-intensive)
• Get professional help (recommended)

DisappearMe.AI is here to help with removal and monitoring once you've discovered your exposure.

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References

• Have I Been Pwned. (2025). "Check if your email address has been exposed in a data breach." Retrieved from https://haveibeenpwned.com

• Privacy.net. (2020). "Privacy Test & Analyzer: See what data websites know about you." Retrieved from https://privacy.net/analyzer/

• Digital Footprint Check. (2025). "Free Digital Footprint Checker 2025." Retrieved from https://www.digitalfootprintcheck.com

• LifeLock. (2025). "11 free ways to remove your information from the internet." Retrieved from https://lifelock.norton.com/learn/identity-theft-resources/remove-personal-information-from-the-internet

• ZDNET. (2025). "How to remove your personal info from Google Search." Retrieved from https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-remove-your-personal-info-from-google-search-its-quick-and-easy/

• McAfee. (2025). "How much of your personal info is available online?" Retrieved from https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/privacy-identity-protection/how-much-of-your-personal-info-is-available-online-a-simple-search-could-reveal-disturbing-details/

• Built In. (2024). "10 Top Data Broker Companies." Retrieved from https://builtin.com/articles/top-data-broker-companies

• Norton. (2024). "Doxxing: What it is and how to protect yourself." Retrieved from https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/doxxing

• Reddit. (2025). "How do I get my personal info off the internet?" Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/CyberSecurityAdvice/comments/1lt0k7h/how_do_i_get_my_personal_info_off_the_internet/

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About DisappearMe.AI

DisappearMe.AI provides comprehensive privacy protection services for high-net-worth individuals, executives, and privacy-conscious professionals facing doxxing threats. Our proprietary AI-powered technology permanently removes personal information from 700+ databases, people search sites, and public records while providing continuous monitoring against re-exposure. With emergency doxxing response available 24/7, we deliver the sophisticated defense infrastructure that modern privacy protection demands.

Protect your digital identity. Contact DisappearMe.AI today.