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How To Opt Out of Instant Checkmate – And Why You Should Do It

Your privacy can be at risk even if you believe you have a limited online presence. People-search websites like Instant Checkmate scouring the internet for publicly available information about you, making it accessible to anyone. 

You can regain control over your personal information and shield yourself from the watchful gaze of these data brokers by following a few simple steps.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to opt out of Instant Checkmate and regain some of your online privacy.

What is Instant Checkmate?

Instant Checkmate is a significant player in the world of data brokers, with an astonishing 1.4 billion searches conducted on its platform. They are a subscription-based US people-search site that operates under the PeopleConnect network, which includes other people-search sites like US Search, TruthFinder, and Intelius.

As a well-known data broker, Instant Checkmate collects and publishes personal information online. The extensive data available is alarming.

To safeguard your online privacy and remove your data from Instant Checkmate, you must go through PeopleConnect's data suppression center. This process enables you to regain control over your digital footprint by opting out of their databases.

Why should I opt out of Instant Checkmate?

Understanding how brokers like Instant Checkmate use your data is crucial. These people-search sites, including Instant Checkmate, make money by selling your data to anyone interested. You can access detailed reports and data on individuals in the US through name searches or reverse phone searches on their site. 

While this information can be helpful in certain situations, it also carries potential risks. Scammers, stalkers, and cyber criminals frequently exploit this data for fraudulent activities, social engineering, catfishing, and identity theft. This highlights the importance of reducing your digital footprint.

If you live in the US, we strongly recommend opting out of Instant Checkmate and similar people-search sites to regain control over your personal information and protect yourself from identity theft and privacy breaches.

How to opt out of Instant Checkmate

In today's age of easy access to personal information online, it's crucial to opt out of Instant Checkmate and remove your data from their database. This helps limit the exposure of your personal information online and reduces the risk of privacy breaches. 

Here's a simple guide to do just that:

  1. Visit Instant Checkmate's Data Privacy Center at https://www.instantcheckmate.com/privacy-center.
  2. Click "View Public Data Tools" under Public Data Tools.
  3. Select "Manage my suppression tools" to go to PeopleConnect's opt-out page.
  4. Enter your email, agree to the terms, and click "Continue."
  5. Check your email for a confirmation message and click "Verify email."
  6. Provide the required information, confirm its accuracy, and click "Continue."
  7. Choose the matching record from the list and click "Continue."
  8. Select "Suppressed" from the Desired Behavior dropdown and click "Save."
  9. After the page refreshes, verify that your identity is marked as suppressed.

The process might take a few days, and your data could reappear.

How to remove yourself from other people-search sites

Instant Checkmate is just one of the numerous shady people-search sites collecting and selling your data. Others in this category include:

Handling numerous websites can be time-consuming. Consider dedicated data removal services to simplify removing your data from websites like Instant Checkmate.

These services typically entail a monthly subscription fee and guarantee permanently removing your information from various people-search sites and major data brokers.

The best service to opt out of people-search sites

Let's delve into our top recommendation in a bit more detail.

1. Incogni
Editor's Choice | January 2024

Incogni is our #1 best data removal service. They handle contacting data brokers to remove your data and offer a user-friendly, affordable solution.

  • Pricing

    • 1 month: $12.99/mth
    • 12 months: $6.49/mth
      50% OFF
  • Pros

    • Affordable price
    • No long-term contract
    • Easy-to-use service
    • Owned by Surfshark, a trustworthy company
    • Works with data brokers in the US, Canada, EU, and UK
  • Cons

    • Not available in all countries

Incogni, a subsidiary of Surfshark VPN (one of our top #3 VPNs), offers a cost-effective service with a transparent tracking system. You can monitor the number of removal requests on their online dashboard.


To identify data brokers with your information, Incogni uses a sophisticated algorithm. They contact various brokers, including those dealing with people search, risk assessment, financial, employment, marketing, and health data.


Incogni's availability in multiple countries, including the UK, EU, Switzerland, and Canada, sets it apart. Legal timeframes for data removal vary by location, like the 30-day requirement in the EU under GDPR and the 45-day guideline in California, according to CCPA.


You can choose the $5.79 monthly rate for annual subscriptions or a slightly higher $11.49 monthly for month-to-month plans. Once you've set up your account, just provide the data you want to remove, give the necessary permissions, and wait for their action.

How to opt out of Instant Checkmate – FAQs

Written by: Conor Walsh

Conor is a tech writer with professional paranoia. He's passionate about privacy, and when not writing about it, can be found trying to get far away from his phone and any other technology, enjoying some live music, outdoorsy stuff, or a good (physical) book.

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