How to Opt Out of MyLife (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

MyLife is one of the most intrusive people-search sites operating in the United States. Unlike most data brokers that simply aggregate public records, MyLife adds a "Reputation Score" — a pseudo-credibility metric displayed prominently in search results — and encourages users to leave reviews about other individuals. A MyLife profile can appear in the top results when someone Googles your name, making it unusually high-visibility. The opt-out process is also more difficult than most competing sites, often requiring a phone call.

Why MyLife Is Different From Other Data Brokers

Most people-search sites display factual data (addresses, phone numbers, court records). MyLife goes further in three ways that significantly amplify privacy risk:

1. Reputation Scores

MyLife assigns each person a "Reputation Score" between 1 and 5 based on a proprietary algorithm incorporating public records, reported reviews, and unknown signals. These scores appear prominently in Google results and can suggest a negative reputation even for people who have no criminal or civil record.

2. User-Submitted Reviews

MyLife allows anyone to submit a written review of any individual. These reviews can be negative, false, or defamatory, and they appear on your public profile alongside your address and phone number.

3. Aggressive SEO

MyLife aggressively optimizes its profile pages for search engine visibility. Profiles often appear in the top 3–5 Google results for a person's name + city search, meaning your MyLife profile may be the first thing an employer, landlord, or date sees when they look you up.

The FTC has taken action against MyLife multiple times. In 2020, the FTC reached a settlement with MyLife.com over deceptive practices, resulting in a $3.1 million penalty. Despite this, the site continues to operate and publish profiles.

What MyLife Shows About You

A MyLife profile typically includes:

• Full name and name variations
• Current and past addresses
• Phone numbers
• Relatives and household members
• Reputation Score (1–5 scale)
• Public reviews submitted by other users
• Age
• Court records and criminal history
• Social media accounts linked by name
• Employment and education from professional directories

How to Opt Out of MyLife: Step-by-Step

MyLife's opt-out process is more friction-heavy than most data brokers. The standard path requires a phone call, though some users report success with email-only requests.

Option A: Phone Call (Most Reliable)

Step 1: Call MyLife's customer service line at 1-888-704-1900. Their hours are Monday–Friday, 9 AM–6 PM Pacific.

Step 2: When the agent answers, state clearly: "I am calling to request removal of my personal profile under my data privacy rights. I am not a MyLife subscriber."

Step 3: Provide your full name, current city and state, and date of birth for verification. Do not provide your Social Security Number — it is not needed for an opt-out.

Step 4: Ask for a case number or confirmation that the removal request has been logged. Note the date, time, and agent name.

Step 5: Ask when removal will be complete. MyLife states 3–14 business days.

Step 6: Follow up if your profile is still visible after 14 business days. Use your case number to reference the original request.

Option B: Email Request

Some users have success emailing privacy@mylife.com with a message formatted as:

"Dear MyLife Privacy Team, I am writing to request the removal of my personal profile from MyLife.com pursuant to my privacy rights. My name is [FULL NAME], my current city and state are [CITY, STATE], and my date of birth is [DOB]. Please confirm removal in writing and provide a timeline. I do not consent to my personal information being displayed on your platform."

Email opt-outs are less reliable than phone calls for MyLife. If you do not receive a response within 5 business days, follow up with a phone call.

Option C: Submit via their online form

MyLife maintains a web form at mylife.com/about/privacy_request. This form has a longer processing timeline (up to 30 days) and is less reliable than the phone method.

How to Deal With the Reputation Score and Reviews

Even after your profile is removed from public search results, reviews submitted about you by other users may persist in MyLife's database. To address this:

For false or defamatory reviews: If a review contains false statements of fact (not just negative opinions), you can send a defamation cease-and-desist letter to MyLife's registered agent. MyLife's legal contact is available through their Terms of Service page.

For reputation score damage: Google may still cache your old MyLife profile page for 30–90 days after removal. To accelerate removal from Google's index, use the Google Search Console URL removal tool if you own any web properties. For cached pages you don't control, file a request through Google's outdated content removal tool.

MyLife vs. Other High-Friction Data Brokers

MyLife and LexisNexis are the two most difficult major data brokers to opt out of. Prioritize them early in any privacy cleanup because of the longer processing times.

Data Reappearance After MyLife Removal

MyLife re-ingests data from public records and commercial data vendors on a continuous cycle. Users who remove their MyLife profile should plan for potential reappearance within 6–12 months — longer than most sites because MyLife's re-ingestion cycle runs less frequently than high-volume sites like Spokeo.

However, if you are subject to an active reputation review campaign (where users are actively submitting negative reviews to your profile), new reviews can trigger profile recreation faster.

OfflistMe includes MyLife in its 500+-site removal process and monitors for reappearance. One-time pricing starts at $7.00 for a 24-hour removal session. Start your removal here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does MyLife require a phone call while other sites have online opt-outs?

MyLife's friction-heavy opt-out process is not accidental. By making removal difficult, fewer people complete it, and more profiles remain active. This is a documented dark pattern. The FTC's 2020 settlement with MyLife included a consent order requiring clearer removal procedures, but phone verification has remained the most reliable method.

Can I sue MyLife for showing false information?

Potentially, depending on the nature of the false information. If MyLife is displaying a false criminal record (attributing someone else's record to you), that may be actionable under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Defamatory user reviews may be actionable under state defamation law. An attorney specializing in data privacy or defamation can evaluate your specific situation.

What is a MyLife Reputation Score and who calculates it?

MyLife's Reputation Score is a proprietary metric — they do not publish their scoring methodology. It incorporates public records, user-submitted reviews, and internal signals. There is no external validation of these scores, and they do not constitute a factual background check of any kind.

Will removing my MyLife profile stop the reputation score from appearing in Google?

Once MyLife removes your profile, the Google listing should drop out of search results as Google re-crawls and finds the page returns a 404 or redirect. This typically takes 30–90 days. You can accelerate this by using Google's outdated content removal tool.

Does MyLife charge for opt-out?

No. MyLife is legally required to process opt-out requests under applicable privacy laws without charging a fee. If MyLife tries to sell you a subscription or paid service as part of the removal process, that is a violation you can report to your state attorney general.

What MyLife's Reputation Score Actually Is

Most people assume MyLife's Reputation Score is calculated like a credit score — based on actual documented facts. It is not. The score is a proprietary algorithm that MyLife does not publicly document, and it incorporates data points that have no bearing on whether someone is actually trustworthy.

Here is what feeds into the score based on documented research and the FTC's investigation of MyLife:

Public records signals: Presence or absence of criminal records, civil court filings, bankruptcies, and liens. If you share a name with someone who has a record, those records can mistakenly attach to your profile.

User-submitted reviews: Anyone — a disgruntled neighbor, a vindictive ex, an internet troll — can submit a review of any individual. These reviews directly influence the score. There is no verification step. MyLife does not confirm the reviewer knows or has had any interaction with the subject.

Data completeness: Paradoxically, having more data on file can improve the score. People with thin profiles (fewer public records, limited online footprint) sometimes receive lower scores simply because there is less data to work with.

Age and geographic signals: Older individuals with longer residential histories tend to score higher than younger people or those who have moved frequently.

The practical consequence: a score of 3 out of 5 appears prominently in Google results for your name and can look damaging even if you have no negative history whatsoever. Employers and landlords who do not know what MyLife is may interpret a low score as a meaningful red flag.

One important note: MyLife markets the Reputation Score as a "background check" result — implying scientific validity it does not have. The FTC's 2020 enforcement action specifically cited deceptive claims around these scores. If a landlord or employer is using a MyLife score as a decision input in a housing or employment context, that may create FCRA liability for them, not just a privacy problem for you.

Why MyLife Is Harder to Remove From Than Most Sites

If you have gone through data broker opt-outs before, you may have found that most sites remove your profile in 24–72 hours via a simple email verification. MyLife is designed differently, and the friction is intentional.

The phone call requirement. MyLife's most reliable opt-out path requires calling their support line during business hours, navigating a customer service queue, and then explicitly stating you are invoking your privacy rights. This alone filters out a significant percentage of people who would otherwise complete the process.

The upsell during opt-out. When you call to request removal, MyLife customer service agents are trained to offer subscription plans as an alternative — specifically a paid "MyLife Premium" plan that allegedly gives you "control" over your profile. This is a documented dark pattern: using the opt-out process as a sales funnel. You can decline and continue with the free removal request.

The subscription model's conflict of interest. MyLife generates revenue from subscribers who pay to see full background checks on other people. Every profile that remains active is inventory that generates subscription revenue. There is no business incentive to make removal easy.

Auto-re-population from public records. Even after you successfully remove your profile, MyLife re-ingests from public records on a periodic cycle. Unlike sites that maintain a suppression list for opted-out users, MyLife's data pipeline creates new profiles when new data arrives. Users who have successfully removed their profile should plan for re-population at the 6–12 month mark.

Review persistence after profile removal. User-submitted reviews are stored in a separate database layer from the public profile. When MyLife removes your profile from public search results, the underlying review data may remain in their systems. If your profile is recreated from new public records, those historical reviews can resurface. The only way to address this is to separately request deletion of review data — which requires a written request to their privacy team.

What this means in practice: Budget 30–45 minutes for your initial MyLife opt-out, not the 5 minutes most data broker removals take. Add a 12-month calendar reminder to re-check. And if you see reviews on your profile before you opt out, take a screenshot — you may need it if you want to challenge the review data separately.

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