Google updated its \u201cResults About You\u201d tool, and using it has been an eye-opening experience.<\/p>\n
It uncovered my home address, phone number and email on so-called people-search websites, along with my birth date and grandma\u2019s name\u2014even though I requested removal from some databases years ago. It regularly sends emails alerting me to more exposed data.<\/p>\n
And yes, your info is out there, too. Plug your data into\u00a0Google\u2019s free tool<\/a>\u00a0\u2014the company promises not to use it for any other purposes\u2014and wait a few hours for the alerts to roll in.<\/p>\n Why care? Easily available personal data can expose you to junk mail,\u00a0identity theft<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0impersonation scams<\/a>\u00a0. For executives, government officials and public figures, the stakes are even higher. Attackers use people-search databases to increasingly target them for harassment or violence, according to a\u00a02024 report<\/a>\u00a0by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Even\u00a0private individuals<\/a>\u00a0have become victims of doxxing, the malicious sharing of personal info.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever gotten a speeding ticket, bought a home, answered a census survey or registered to vote, those details are now a part of public record. Credit card sign-ups, magazine subscriptions and warranty cards are other reliable sources of personal information.<\/p>\n Data brokers scrape these records, plus social-media profiles, then package the data as dossiers on millions of Americans. There are hundreds of people-search services. And while most offer an opt-out process, the data can reappear when companies refresh their databases.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why you might want to enlist another service, the kind that deletes your data from the internet. While services can\u2019t completely scrub your info from the web, they can make it harder to pin you down. Here\u2019s how it all works.<\/p>\n Find: See what\u2019s out there<\/p>\n The profiles data brokers create are only getting more detailed.<\/p>\n They now include lists of people\u2019s friends, family members and children, as well as location and vehicle information such as license plate number and car purchase history. \u201cIn 2023, we would find about 300 pieces of someone\u2019s personally identifiable information out there. Now there are over 600 pieces,\u201d says Rob Shavell , chief executive of DeleteMe, a personal-information removal service.<\/p>\n To see what\u2019s out there, google your name and location. You might find a profile\u2014or two\u2014with your personal data on people-search websites such as Spokeo or Whitepages.<\/p>\n You can also use Google\u2019s free scanner: Go to myactivity.google.com and under Other activity, click\u00a0\u201cResults About You<\/a>\u00a0.\u201d Here, you can review search results of where your personal information appears, and request that Google remove the result.<\/p>\n The Google tool only shows search results. To cover your bases, you also need to go to the data brokers directly. Two info removers,\u00a0DeleteMe<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Optery<\/a>\u00a0, offer free exposure reports. If you pay for a subscription, they will submit opt-out requests to the services for you.<\/p>\n Request: Opt out or automate<\/p>\n If you want to go it alone, set aside a weekend. People-search sites have different removal processes, and there are\u00a0hundreds of such services<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Some might request\u00a0more<\/b>\u00a0personal data to remove your listing. Only provide information they already have about you. If you must upload a photo ID, mask the license number and your photo. Use a\u00a0burner phone number<\/a>\u00a0and temporary email address with\u00a0Maildrop<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n You can also pay for a service to do the leg work. After submitting your personal information, these services comb the web and use bots or humans to fulfill the removal requests.<\/p>\n Optery<\/a>\u00a0, which launched in 2021, has a budget-friendly $4-a-month plan covering more than 300 sites. You can pay more (up to $25 a month) for removals from more websites, along with extra human assistance. It works quickly: I saw a report of exposed info after a day. After two, my information had already been removed from more than 100 sites.<\/p>\n DeleteMe<\/a>\u00a0is the seasoned old-timer, with 14 years in the business. The service offers a yearly plan for $129. This makes sense\u2014information can reappear after months.<\/p>\n After a week, I received my first report, which included the data broker with the most info on me, and a list of about 80 people-search sites with a profile on me. The estimated removal time on some sites was as quick as 24 hours, and on others, up to six weeks. The service will automatically do another scan in three months. The DeleteMe plan also offers disposable phone numbers and email addresses, so you can stay hidden.<\/p>\n Aura<\/a>\u00a0is a more complete solution, starting at $120 a year. In addition to removing you from people-search sites, it offers antivirus software and identity theft insurance. It\u2019s a better option for a family who needs a range of coverage.<\/p>\n Repeat\u2026and minimize your footprint<\/p>\n When you opt out of a people-search site, your data might not disappear right away. For California residents, removal must happen within 45 days. About a\u00a0dozen states<\/a>\u00a0have similar privacy laws. If you live in other states, \u201call bets are off,\u201d says Optery founder Lawrence Gentilello. Removals could take longer\u2014or in rare cases, not happen at all.<\/p>\n These same companies might collect the same data again from public sources or third parties. That\u2019s why you\u2019re never completely erased. You should scan the web a few times a year and repeat the process. Or, again, just pay an info-removing service to keep running.<\/p>\n Unless you live\u00a0off the grid<\/a>\u00a0and avoid online shopping and other aspects of modern life, it\u2019s difficult to prevent your personal information from getting out there. But you can lie low: Turn on\u00a0Do Not Track<\/a>\u00a0on your phone, avoid posting publicly on social media, and mask your identity by using burner email addresses and phone numbers. You might even want to use a fake birthday\u2014but you still have to remember it.<\/p>\n