How to Remove a PlainSite Case
PlainSite says it can suppress a record from search engines or delete it under a court order. Here is how to ask, and where search suppression fits.
Researched: October 2026
Quick overview
- PlainSite says it occasionally keeps specific pages out of search engines through its suppression list.
- It deletes a record under a court order when the information was sealed or expunged after PlainSite first accessed it.
- Sensitive numbers published in error, such as Social Security numbers, are redacted on request.
- Requests go through the web-based Contact Us form. The page lists suppression and removal as usually 30 days.
- PlainSite says it weighs the public interest in each record, and can't guarantee any action ahead of time.
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What PlainSite says it can do
PlainSite says that, to the extent information is publicly available and provided by the government, it doesn't delete data without a court order. It says the information would still be freely available on other sites it has no control over.
It lists four things it can do:
- Search engine suppression. It occasionally suppresses information from being indexed by adding specific web pages and documents to its search engine suppression list.
- Court order compliance. If information was sealed or expunged by the government after PlainSite first accessed it, and a court order is provided, it is glad to delete it according to the terms of the order.
- Account number redaction. It redacts Social Security numbers and other sensitive information published by the government in error, on request.
- Name abbreviation. Where there is a strong public interest but a person's privacy interests are also strongly compromised, it will on rare occasion replace names with initials to avoid indexing of the names by search engines.
PlainSite says it can't guarantee any particular action for any particular record ahead of time. It also says the best course of action is to try to have the record sealed or expunged by the government agency publishing it first.
Factors PlainSite says it weighs
PlainSite says it takes privacy seriously but has to balance how hiding information affects others.
Generally keep the record accessible
- Frequent public access: roughly 100 or more hits on a record, which it calls one of the most important factors.
- Involvement of a government official or agency.
- Large amounts of money, generally $2,500 or more.
- Serious criminal charges that don't jeopardize anyone's safety.
- Recent (within five years) or ongoing matters.
- Precedential cases, including cases appealed even once.
- Novel issues of law, major societal issues, and business and intellectual property matters.
- Multiple cases or unusual filing activity, and litigation involving lawyers or law firms.
Generally keep it hidden from search engines
- Individual uncontested bankruptcy cases.
- Car crashes.
- Family matters such as divorce and custody.
- Matters involving minors.
Not considered at all
- Personal attributes such as race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
- Health, and whether an organization is non-profit or for-profit.
- Actions other sites have taken on suppression or removal requests.
- The European Right To Be Forgotten, which PlainSite says doesn't apply in the United States.
How to send a request
PlainSite asks that you use its web-based Contact Us form, and says it once accepted requests by email.
- 1
Open the Contact Us form
The form is on the PlainSite Contact Us page. Read the Privacy Policy first, as the page asks.
- 2
Choose what you need
Select Limit information about me (keeping information out of search engines) or Court-ordered removal (a sealing, expungement or other court order).
- 3
Add the details
Describe the record in the Details box. The page asks for one request per case.
- 4
Send and keep the tracking code
Enter your name, email and phone, then press Send. PlainSite emails a confirmation with a tracking code.
Notice: A name showing up on a court-record site like this one often shows up elsewhere too. A quick reputation scan can tell you if there's more to deal with.
If the record stays
PlainSite says the CCPA doesn't apply to it and the Right To Be Forgotten doesn't apply in the United States. Records it keeps up can still be available on other sites it doesn't control.
Search suppression moves a record that stays published down in search results, and Google De-indexing applies where a page is eligible. We tell you which situation you're in before any work begins.
Common questions
Can PlainSite delete a case?
PlainSite says that to the extent information is publicly available and provided by the government, it doesn't remove (delete) data without a court order. If information has been sealed or expunged by the government after PlainSite first accessed it, and a court order is provided, it says it is glad to delete the information according to the terms of the order.
Can PlainSite keep a case out of search engines?
PlainSite says it occasionally suppresses information from being indexed by search engines by adding specific web pages and documents to its search engine suppression list. It says it can't guarantee any particular action for any particular record ahead of time.
Can I send a request by email?
PlainSite says it once permitted removal requests by email, and now asks that you use its web-based Contact Us form. It says the form helps streamline the process, because it gets many requests per day and has a small staff.
How long does PlainSite take to answer?
The Contact Us page lists suppression and removal requests as usually 30 days. It says it gets 5 to 10 of these a day, asks for one request per case, and says calls, letters and repeat requests don't speed things up.
Does the CCPA or the Right To Be Forgotten apply?
PlainSite says the CCPA doesn't apply to it, because it doesn't meet the CCPA's financial size threshold and collects most information from public sources. It also says the Right To Be Forgotten doesn't apply in the United States.
Can sensitive numbers be removed from a record?
PlainSite says it will redact Social Security numbers and other sensitive pieces of information published by the government in error, on request.
Do I pay if the record isn't removed?
Our removal services are no-removal, no-fee: you're invoiced only once we achieve the removal defined in your Service Agreement. Search suppression is billed for the work performed.
Related
Also listed on another court-records site? See our PacerMonitor, Docket Alarm, UniCourt or CourtListener guides, or the full Court Records Removal service. Search suppression moves a record down, and Google De-indexing covers pages that shouldn't appear in Google at all.
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