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ZDNET Highlights
- Most of the sensitive information found online is collected and stored legally by brokers.
- It is possible to delete this data but requires navigating a fragmented system.
- Luckily, there are plenty of free tools online that can simplify the process.
If you search your name on Google right now, there is a high chance that you will find more names than you expected. Phone numbers, emails, previous home addresses and distant relatives can appear in a matter of seconds on websites you’ve probably never heard of.
The surprising thing is that most of this information does not come from hacks or data breaches. Instead, they come from a variety of legitimate sources, such as public records, app user analytics, and archived social media profiles. Data brokers will then collect these statistics and sell them to interested third parties for profit. As you can imagine, personal data is very valuable.
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Although this practice may be legal, its widespread scale and access to personal information make it controversial. The good news is that you can delete most of your data. Data deletion services like DeleteMe or PrivacyCB will handle a lot of the work for you.
I recommend paying for one of these services, but if you prefer to do the work yourself, there is a way to delete similar data without relying completely on them.
In this guide, I’ll explain the most effective free ways to clean up your digital footprint, as well as steps you can take to limit the amount of data collected. But before we get into that, there are a few important things I’d like to cover first.
Why is deleting your data harder than expected?
In principle, deleting your data is pretty straightforward: contact the data brokers and request that your information be removed. In practice, it is anything but simple.
Data brokers and people search sites operate independently. This means writing separate opt-out forms, completing verification processes, and following up separately. The purpose of verification is to prevent fraud or abuse, so many brokers require you to prove your identity before processing the request. This could range from email confirmation to a phone call.
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Furthermore, many of these websites are difficult to navigate. According to the Federal Trade Commission, as reported US Congress Joint Economic Committee“Opt-out tools are largely invisible and incomplete.” Users may have difficulty using these tools
There is also the aspect of time. From personal experience, it takes about 5 minutes to fill out an opt-out form. It’s fast, but now imagine filling out hundreds of opt-out forms for all the different brokers. Minutes turn into hours, which can turn into days.
Are there any data protection laws or tools?
At the federal level, the United States has no universal law that protects citizens’ personal information from certain for-profit businesses. Control is handed over to the states themselves, and as a result, protections disintegrate.
For example, California has one of the strongest laws. California Consumer Privacy ActOr CCPA for short, gives residents the right to know what information is being collected about them, how it is being used, and the right to request that data be removed. Then there was the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, which expanded on the CCPA by adding new protections like “the right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information.”
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In addition to the CCPA, California introduced its Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP)An online tool that allows residents to submit a single deletion request to multiple registered data brokers simultaneously. It aims to simplify a process that is otherwise highly fragmented.
Other states have introduced themselves own privacy lawsBut they vary widely in strength. Colorado has the Colorado Privacy Act, another strong protection law that also gives its residents the right to remove sensitive information from brokers. Data protection laws exist in New York, including shield act. Companies operating in the state are required to “maintain appropriate security measures to protect personal information.” However, it does not provide the same rights as the CCPA or CPRA.
Before getting into your strategy, I strongly suggest that you keep track of your takedown requests. It’s easier to lose track of the amount of work you have to do than what you’ve already done. Having a simple spreadsheet can be of great help.
Be sure to log the sites you submitted the request to, the data they have on you, submission dates, confirmation email, and case ID, if provided.
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Second, think of my strategy as a starting point rather than a definitive guide. The data deletion process may vary depending on your situation, so you may need to change your approach.
How to delete your data for free
The first step is to identify the people-search sites and data brokers that are collecting your information. This is easier said than done because there are so many. You can do all the work yourself by searching on Google Or Check the list below. This includes online lists I found that highlight many of these brokers.
- data deletion service optry It has an open-source directory of over 640 data brokers, including detailed profiles for each and step-by-step instructions on how to opt out.
- The state of California has its own data broker registry. You can narrow the results to focus on specific data like precise geolocation, social security number, and gender identity.
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is my favorite Data Broker Opt-Out List Available on GitHub. It was created by Yael Grauer, former program manager of cybersecurity research at Consumer Reports. The list provides a detailed directory of major brokers, with direct links to their opt-out tools. It is actively maintained, with the most recent update being three weeks ago at the time of writing.
On their brokerage sites, you will find an internal search engine that lets you look up your name to see if any of your information appears in their database. If it appears, contact Compact directly to request removal. As an example, I will explain the process of deleting your information from the data broker Spokeo.
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I found a detailed profile of myself Spokeo. The process of deleting them requires copying your profile’s URL into them Opt-out tool And enter your email address to receive the confirmation link.
When the email arrives, click on the link in it and you will receive a message informing you that the request is being processed. It will take a few days to remove. Some services take a different approach. For example, WhitePages will require identity verification via phone call.
If you don’t want to send requests one by one, check permission slip. It is a mobile app developed by Consumer Reports that lets users view the data collected about them by companies. Available on Android and iOS, it can be used to submit deletion requests and remove unwanted accounts and associated data.
What makes the permission slip particularly interesting is that it is not limited to just data brokers. Instead, it includes a wide range of organizations from different industries that may collect user data. On the main dashboard, you’ll see ZipRecruiter, Taco Bell, CVS, and even The New York Times.
Tapping on an entry shows what they collect. Taco Bell, for example, may collect order history, social media interactions, phone numbers, in-store camera recordings, and more. Below each entry, the app provides links to that company’s opt-out and data removal tools.
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There is also a paid version called Permission Slip Plus, which costs $9.99 per month. The free version allows you to submit deletion requests and track their status. The Plus tier expands this by automatically pulling you out of over 100 data brokers, enabling bulk request submissions, and offering “concierge requests,” in which the Consumer Reports team handles your requests.
Once you’ve completed those steps, turn your attention to search engines. Google offers a tool called Results about you Which allows you to request removal of personal information from search results. Microsoft has Report a Concern. This lets you request Bing to remove exposed personal information.
What you can do to keep your data safe from brokers
Data brokers are determined. Just because you’ve deleted your data doesn’t mean it will never be visible again. There is always such a possibility. Therefore, you will need to constantly monitor your online information after it has been deleted to ensure that it does not reappear.
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In addition, I want to give you some advice on other actions you can take:
- Be careful about what you share online. Avoid sharing personal details on social media, and be wary of interactive content such as online quizzes. These are designed to collect data.
- Similarly, close old social media accounts that you no longer use. Inactive profiles may still contain personal information that brokers will find valuable.
- Consider using a VPN when browsing. This software hides your IP address and encrypts your activity.
- Use privacy-focused browsers Firefox, DuckDuckGo, or Brave (this is my favorite). They provide strong user privacy protections.
- you should also install privacy badgerA browser extension that prevents third-party trackers from monitoring your activity.
