How to Remove Your Information From The Internet

In today's digital age, your personal information is scattered across hundreds of websites, making you vulnerable to identity theft, spam, and unwanted contact. The good news? You can take back control of your privacy.

Every day, data brokers collect, aggregate, and sell your personal information to anyone willing to pay. This multi-billion dollar industry profits from your data while putting your privacy and security at risk.

Why Your Information is Online

Data brokers collect information from a variety of sources, often without your knowledge or consent:

• Public Records: Property deeds, voter registration, court records, marriage licenses
• Social Media: Information you've shared publicly on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms
• Purchase History: Warranty cards, loyalty programs, and online shopping behavior
• Surveys and Contests: Information collected through seemingly innocent promotions
• Other Data Brokers: They buy and sell data amongst themselves

This collected data typically includes:

• Full name and aliases
• Current and previous home addresses
• Phone numbers (including unlisted numbers)
• Email addresses
• Names of relatives and associates
• Employment history
• Estimated income and net worth
• Political affiliations
• Religious beliefs
• Health conditions (in some cases)

Step 1: Discover Where Your Data Exists

Before you can remove your information, you need to find it. Start with these steps:

1. Google yourself: Search your full name in quotes, along with your city or state. Try variations of your name.
2. Check major data brokers: Visit sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, and PeopleFinder to see what information they have.
3. Search with your phone number: Enter your phone number in Google to see where it appears.
4. Check your email address: Search for your email to find accounts and mentions.

Step 2: Manual Opt-Out (The Hard Way)

Each data broker has its own opt-out process. While possible to do yourself, it's extremely time-consuming. Here's what to expect:

• Creating accounts on each data broker site
• Verifying your identity (often requiring sensitive documents)
• Submitting individual removal requests
• Waiting 24-72 hours for each request to process
• Following up on requests that weren't completed
• Repeating the process when your data reappears

Step 3: Use an Automated Service (The Easy Way)

Privacy protection services like PrivacyOn automate the entire removal process:

• We identify all sites containing your information
• We submit opt-out requests on your behalf
• We continuously monitor for re-listings
• We handle follow-ups and appeals
• You get regular reports on your privacy status

Step 4: Maintain Your Privacy Long-Term

Removing your data is just the first step. To maintain your privacy:

1. Be selective about sharing: Think twice before providing personal information online.
2. Use privacy settings: Lock down your social media profiles.
3. Opt out of data sharing: When signing up for services, opt out of data sharing when possible.
4. Use a P.O. Box: Consider using a P.O. Box instead of your home address for non-essential mail.
5. Monitor continuously: Data brokers constantly re-add information, so ongoing monitoring is essential.

Take Action Today

Your personal information is too valuable to leave exposed. Whether you choose to tackle data removal yourself or use a service like PrivacyOn, the important thing is to take action. Every day your information remains online is another day it can be misused.