FamilyTreeNow opt-out
familytreenow.com How to remove yourself from FamilyTreeNow
Go to familytreenow.com/optout, fill in the form and confirm the email it sends you within 24 hours. FamilyTreeNow says your information "will be removed within 3 days" after that. It's free, and the only check is that email, no ID.
View all 506 brokers- Opt-out page
- familytreenow.com
- Method
- Online form
- Privacy email
- privacy@familytreenow.com
- What you need
- Email address
- Time to remove
- About 3 days
- Cost
- Free
- Last updated
How to opt out of FamilyTreeNow
- 1
Find your record first
Search your name on familytreenow.com and open the record details. Check the addresses and relatives so you know it's you and not someone with the same name. Copy the page link while you're there.
- 2
Open the opt-out page
Go to familytreenow.com/optout. It's labeled "Privacy Request" and says: "To opt your information out of our records, please complete the form below."
- 3
Fill in the form and submit it
FamilyTreeNow sends a verification email "to confirm your identity before processing your request."
- 4
Click the email link within 24 hours
The link expires after a day, so do this in one sitting. If nothing arrives, check your spam folder (the site's own tip).
- 5
Complete the detailed opt-out form
The link takes you to a detailed opt-out form. FamilyTreeNow's older instructions describe the same idea: find yourself in the results, open the record detail, make sure you're "100% sure this is your record", then click the big red Opt Out button.
- 6
Search again after 3 days
If you had more than one record (an old address, a maiden name), check each one.
Watch out for
- The verification link expires after 24 hours, so if it's older than that you have to start a new request.
- Emailing the company doesn't work as a shortcut: in its Texas registry filing, FamilyTreeNow says "We do not accept privacy requests submitted via email."
- Record pages carry ads, and you don't need to click any of them to opt out.
- If you had more than one record (an old address, a maiden name), each one needs checking.
What FamilyTreeNow holds about you
- Full name and aliases
- Current address
- Phone numbers
- Relatives
- Age and date of birth
What FamilyTreeNow is known to collect, not a check of your listing.
Does it come back?
It can, and FamilyTreeNow says so itself: "we regularly receive new public records so even if you opt out, your publicly available information may appear in our data products again in the future." It recommends you "periodically refresh your opt-out request." Search your name every 3 months or so and repeat the opt-out if a new record appears.
Your rights
FamilyTreeNow's Do Not Sell page says public records aren't covered by state privacy laws, so it applies opt-outs to them only "as a courtesy". It also bills TruePeopleSearch as an "Official Partner Site", and nothing says its opt-out covers that site.
California: CCPA. If you live in California, the CCPA lets you ask a business to delete the personal information it holds about you and to stop selling or sharing it. Businesses generally have 45 days to respond.
California: the Delete Act. Data brokers that hold information on Californians must register with the state. California residents can use DROP, the state's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, to send one deletion request to every registered broker at once.
Other US states. Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, Oregon and a growing list of other states give residents a similar right to delete. Vermont, Texas and Oregon also make data brokers register with the state. Where no state law applies, the broker's own opt-out above still works for most people.
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked
Is FamilyTreeNow free to opt out of?
Yes. The site doesn't charge for searches or removals, and the opt-out only asks you to confirm an email.
I never got the verification email. What now?
Check spam first. The link expires after 24 hours, so if it's older than that, start a new request.
Can I opt out by phone?
FamilyTreeNow lists a privacy request line, (877) 838-4889, in its California registry filing for requests to opt out of the sale of your data. For taking a record off the site, use the online form.
Why are strangers listed as my relatives?
FamilyTreeNow links people who share an address or last name, so a former roommate or an unrelated namesake can show up. Opting out removes your record, not theirs.
Related guide Guide: How to Delete Yourself from the Internet Something changed? If these steps no longer match the FamilyTreeNow opt-out, tell us and we'll re-check it.
