What Social Catfish is and why your details are there
Social Catfish calls itself “an online dating investigation service based in California” that checks “images, social profiles, phone numbers, emails, jobs and a lot more” (Social Catfish opt-out page). It builds people-search reports from records it gathers from third-party sources, and it runs a reverse image search.
- Removing a listing does not remove the source. Social Catfish says so itself: removing a listing “will not remove your information from its original source,” so the same details can still appear on other directory sites.
- You can have more than one listing. Each listing has its own URL and has to be removed on its own.
Before you start: what you need
- Your first and last name, and an email address you check. These three are the only mandatory fields on the form.
- Links to your listings, if you can find them. Optional, but Social Catfish says “sharing these links can help to expedite the process in locating and removing your records.”
- Up to 8 photos of yourself, if your face shows up in its image search. JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP, 5 MB each at most.
- About ten minutes. No ID document is asked for on the standard opt-out form.
How to find your Social Catfish listing link
Search your name on socialcatfish.com and open the result that is you. Social Catfish’s own opt-out guide tells you to copy the link from the “See Full Report” button:
- On a computer: hover over the yellow “See Full Report” button, right-click it, then choose “Copy link address.”
- On a phone: press and hold the “See Full Report” button, then choose “Copy.”
- Check name variations. Social Catfish asks for a separate request for each variation it holds, for example “Jon Q Public” and “Jonathan Q Public,” so search the versions of your name you have used.
Paste every link into a note before you start the form. You will add them in step 2.
The Social Catfish opt-out, step by step
Go to socialcatfish.com/opt-out. The page has four request types at the top: Request to Opt-Out, Request for Access, Request for Deletion and Request to Correct Information. Choose Request to Opt-Out.
Step 1: Choose your state
Pick the state you live in. The list covers every US state plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Social Catfish says it extends privacy rights to all US residents and “accept[s] and honor[s] requests from residents of all U.S. states.”
Step 2: Fill in the opt-out form
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| First name, last name | Mandatory. Use the name exactly as it appears on your listing. |
| Email address | Mandatory. Social Catfish uses it if it needs to reach you about the request. |
| Links to your profile | Optional. Paste each listing link, using “Click Here to Add Next URL” for more. |
| Optional section (press “Expand”) | Middle initial, age range, other emails, phone numbers and other states you have lived in. These help it find every record that is yours. |
| Images | Up to 8 photos of your face. See the next section for what this does. |
Step 3: Submit
Leave the box “I am submitting as an authorized agent of a third-party organization” unticked unless a company is filing for you. Complete the security check and press Submit Now.
Removing your photos from Social Catfish image search
Social Catfish says it “does NOT store any images” and that it “can prevent the exact image(s) from appearing in image search results.”
- Upload each photo you saw in its results. The block applies to the exact images you send.
- A new photo of you is a new image. The photos still on other websites are untouched, and face search engines such as PimEyes and FaceCheck.ID index faces separately. Our list of facial recognition databases shows where else your face can be searched.
After you submit: how long it takes and what to check
- Up to 15 days. Social Catfish says it will make sure your information is not available for sale on the site “within fifteen (15) days,” by deleting the information it can verify as related to you.
- It may ask you to verify. If it has a “good-faith, reasonable belief that the request may be fraudulent,” it may ask for information to confirm who you are.
- Search again after 15 days, then every few months. Social Catfish says it “continually receive[s] new and updated records” and asks people to check regularly for new listings.
- Need to follow up? Its privacy policy names [email protected] for privacy requests. Its phone number is (844) 422-8347.
Common doubts
“Does the Social Catfish opt-out cost anything?”
No. The opt-out form is free. The page also advertises a scan of other people-search sites; you do not need it to remove yourself from Social Catfish.
“I am not in a state with a privacy law. Can I still opt out?”
Yes. Social Catfish lists the states with specific privacy rights and says it honors requests from residents of all US states.
“Do I have to send my ID?”
Not on the standard form. Social Catfish may ask for verification if a request looks fraudulent.
“Can someone file it for me?”
Yes. The form has a box for authorized agents. FacePrivacy files Social Catfish requests for its members as their authorized agent, with their photos and a signed Letter of Authorization, and re-files as necessary.
Have us file your Social Catfish opt-out.
Upload two photos. We file opt-out requests with Social Catfish and the face search engines we support, re-file as necessary, and track each request in your dashboard.
File my Social Catfish opt-out →