How to Request Removal of Private Information From Reddit

Published October 30, 20264 min readBy the RedditPostRemove team

When private information appears on a public forum, speed and clarity both matter. A short, accurate request with the right evidence is more likely to be actioned than a long, angry one. This article explains how to request removal of private information from Reddit, step by step, and complements our action plan on what to do if your personal information appears on Reddit.

What counts as private information?

Reddit's rules protect people from having personal details shared without consent. Examples generally include:

• Home address or precise location.
• Personal phone numbers and private email addresses.
• Government ID, financial account or login details.
• Private photos, medical or school records.
• Real names linked to anonymous accounts, where used to target someone.

Information that is already public and tied to a business, such as a published business address, is treated differently. If you are unsure, write down why you believe the information is private.

Step 1: make a list

List every place the information appears. For each, record:

1. The link to the post or comment.
2. The community.
3. Which details are shown.
4. The date you saw it.
5. A screenshot, including the username and date.

If the same details appear in several places, a complete list prevents partial cleanup.

Step 2: report on Reddit

Use the Report option on each item and select the personal information category. Keep your note short and accurate:

Do not paste the private information into the report if you can avoid it. Point to the item instead.

Step 3: message the moderators

Send the community's moderators a polite message with the links and the same short description. Moderators can remove posts without waiting for a sitewide review, and many act quickly on privacy violations.

Step 4: use Reddit's help form where needed

Reddit provides forms for reporting rule violations and for legal and copyright requests. Use the right form for your case. If a minor is involved, make that clear, since it affects how the report is handled.

Step 5: protect your accounts

Exposure can lead to phishing, account takeover or harassment. Change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication, and review privacy settings elsewhere. If threats appear, contact law enforcement and see How to report harassment on Reddit.

Step 6: search results

After the content is removed from Reddit, search engines may still show it for a while. Google offers a request process for removing certain personal information from results, and a tool to refresh outdated results after a page has changed. Do the Reddit removal first.

Step 7: monitor

Search your name, phone number and address periodically, and set alerts. Content that is removed can be reposted, and a quick second report is easier when you have your evidence ready.

Example of a good moderator message

Short, specific and polite.

Mistakes to avoid

• Long emotional messages. They bury the facts.
• Ignoring other copies. One post may be quoted in several places.
• Deleting evidence. Keep your own record.
• Paying for guaranteed removal. No one can guarantee a result.
• Sharing your Reddit password with any service. A legitimate service never needs it.

What to expect

Outcomes vary. Some requests succeed within hours through moderators, others take longer, and some do not succeed because the content does not break a rule. We cannot promise results or timelines. What you can control is the quality of your request, and your safety measures while you wait.

How we can help

Our Reddit personal information removal service prepares the evidence, writes the report, contacts moderators and tracks the outcome. We are an independent service and are not affiliated with Reddit.

Frequently asked questions