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People Search Sites in 2023 - Our Top Recommendations
In the last couple of years, people search sites have become increasingly effective and more popular as more data ends up in their databases. People use them to find people and search for long-lost relatives, old friends, vet new neighbors, possible family members and do background checks on their dates and business acquaintances.
Regardless of their taboo nature concerning privacy, people search sites are a completely valid and legal way to find publicly available information about an individual, most of which is made available by the government through public records. People search sites are a widely used tool in both the private and business sphere, similarly to the White Pages of old.
If you’re in need of information about an individual, you can find the most reputable people search sites below, which we’ve listed in this simple format to help you decide which service is the right one for your needs.
FCRA Disclaimer: You should know that the sites featured here and that people search sites in general are not consumer reporting agencies regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and thus should not be used for generating consumer reports. You can’t use the information they provide for tenant screening, reviewing a person's consumer credit or to vet potential employees through their employment history. If you’re a landlord and you wish to get detailed information on future tenants, we have compiled a list of the best tenant screening services which you can check out here.
If you’re concerned about your privacy and wish to know how to remove yourself from people search sites here’s an article from the FTC about this very topic.
Top People Search Sites for October 2023
Spokeo
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Spokeo
- PDF reports
- Screen incoming calls through their app
- Competitive pricing
Truthfinder
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Truthfinder
- Unlimited reports
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of A+
- Dark web scan
Instant Checkmate
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Instant Checkmate
- Reputable platform
- Quick and accurate reports
- Advanced search filters
Intelius
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
Intelius
- Ease of use
- Different trial plans
- Educational resources
US Search
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
US Search
- Reputable platform
- Unlimited searches
- First-class customer support
BeenVerified
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
BeenVerified
- Comprehensive mobile apps
- Great for car history search
- Discount pricing model
PeopleFinders
Fortunly's Rating: Our editorial team determines the rating based on a set of evaluation criteria developed for each product and service category.
PeopleFinders
- Comprehensive database
- Long history
- Detailed premium reports
Best People Search Websites: List of People Search Sites For 2023
Spokeo - Best choice for cheap people search sites
TruthFinder - Best for fast people search sites
Instant Checkmate - Best for background checks
Intelius - Best for user experience
US Search - Best for legal professionals
BeenVerified - Best for search apps
PeopleFinders - Best user-friendly interface
What Is a People Search Site?
People search sites, also known as people finder sites, search for people sites etc., are online services where anyone can get detailed information about another person by entering basic information such as their name, ZIP code, state they live in or phone number.
These websites, similarly to the White Pages of old, compile publicly available information and deliver reports so that those interested can get information about another person. Sites made to search for people are understandably a sensitive topic given the scale and availability of the information they provide, however, all of this information is publicly available through government records and social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc.. These websites simply aggregate data and provide a compilatory service to those willing to pay for it.
What Information Can People Search Sites Provide?
There is a lot of public information out there and most people search sites offer similar information for a rather varying price. Here’s a list of the things you may expect to find about a person on these sites.
- A person’s name, previous names and aliases
- Their current and previous places of residence
- Age and gender
- The people they live with
- Their phone numbers and email addresses
- Information about their marital status and martial records
- Government divorce records
- Information about family members, including children, parents and extended family
- Social media profiles, dating site profiles
- Online activity
- Their occupation and estimated income
- Political affiliations
- Education history
- Government property ownership records
- Criminal and civil records, misdemeanors, bankruptcies, liens and judgments
Are People Search Websites Legal?
People finder sites operate legally and are legal to use. They function as an aggregation tool for data that is already available publicly, similarly to the White Pages. Most of this personal data is publicly available in the US through the government, things such as your address, name, prior names, marital status, etc., other data comes from social profiles, also publicly available information.
People search sites compile this information and provide a complete report for anyone interested enough to pay for their service. However, there are ways to opt out of this data collection.
How to Delete Your Information From People-Search Sites?
If you’re concerned about your privacy and wish to opt out of data collection on these sites here’s an article from the FTC about this very topic. In-short, there are two ways to go about it:
- You can either manually send requests to these sites in order to get your data wiped or,
- You could hire a company that specializes in this type of data cleanup such as DeleteMe which you can read about here as well as Incogni which you can check out here.
The FTC article goes into detail about how to stay safe online and what to do if you’re concerned about your privacy. If you wish to learn more it’s best that you read about this from a government source.
Where do People Search Sites Get Their Data?
As already mentioned, public government records provide most of the data aggregated by people search sites. Things like your first and last name, previous aliases, addresses, phone numbers, this is all public information in the U.S.. On top of that, most people use social media platforms where they provide even more information about themselves, allowing people search sites to cross-reference this data.
Through government records and social media data, people finder sites can create a complete profile of any given person by simply crawling and indexing data that’s publicly available.
Why Do People Use People Search Sites?
There are many reasons why people use people finder sites. Finding long lost friends, classmates or possible relatives, conducting background checks on a person they’re dating or doing business with are just a few reasons why someone may search for this type of information.
Granted, the nature of these searches can be divisive as many consider them to be a breach of privacy, however, as we’ve mentioned numerous times, the data provided is already public data and is thus within the bounds of the law. When it comes to people search sites, it boils down to the intent behind the search for this information.
As with many other things, the act of searching for information about people is a question of intent and whether or not that information will be used for malicious purposes, which is of course illegal.
People may also use these websites to find information about themselves in order to have it removed from the internet. All of these sites are required to stop collecting information about you if you send them a request to opt out. As mentioned above, there are companies out there that can do this manual work for you.
What are the Best Free People Search Sites for Finding People?
Most people search sites offer basic information about an individual for free. You can expect to get information about a person like their name, address, phone number and state for free, depending on the site. Premium features unlock detailed reports. Other than that, Linkedin and other social media sites are a great tool for finding people.
Frequently Asked Questions about People Search Sites
Can you look someone up by their Social Security number?
Yes. You can locate somebody using their Social Security number. If you have a name and the first three numbers of their Social Security number, you can find information about them on people search sites.
Can you tell who searches you on Google?
No, you can’t exactly tell when somebody does a Google search of your name. What you can do is use Google alerts to find out when your name appeared on the web and then use that information to further look for the person who posted your name on the internet.
You can also use the email search service that many people search sites provide to try and identify the person that has used your information on the web, if it has appeared in an email.
What is the best people search site?
There are a few online services that stand out in terms of features they offer for the price. We’ve reviewed the most prominent providers such as Truthfinder, Instant Checkmate, Intelus, and more above.
How do I find someone with just a name?
Most people search sites can help you narrow down your search for a person by entering just their name. Granted, the more information you have the easier it will be for you to find the person you’re looking for, basic information such as the state they live in can drastically improve the search result.
Is there a free people finder app?
Social media sites, especially LinkedIn and Twitter are a simple way to start searching for someone without paying for people finder sites. Even a basic Google search can sometimes help you find the person you’re looking for. There are no exclusively free people search sites, but most offer basic results for free, such as a person’s name and address. You can also use whitepages.com which has an integrated White Pages people search, and even premium people finder sites like Intelius offer a basic search function for free.
Is there a truly free people search?
No, not really. Most people search sites that offer detailed reports need resources in order to do so. Basic information can be found on sites like whitepages.com for free as well as most people search sites, but even White Pages requires payment in order to provide a full report. Detailed reports require the crawling and scraping of government and other public records in order to be procured accurately and this by its nature is not free.
Can you opt out of and have all your info deleted from people search sites?
Yes you can. You can either manually send them requests to delete your information or hire a company that specializes in this field which can remove your data and provide you with detailed status reports. Here’s an article from the FTC about this very topic.