Regardless of what we do online, it feels like our personal information is at risk. But you have control. You only need to know how to go about making sure that data broker websites don’t.

What Data Brokers Want from You

You need to know that data brokers collect your information and sell it to the biggest bidders – and it is a $200 billion industry.

It is their business to gather your information from all sorts of things so others can use it for marketing purposes under the disguise of business intelligence. They get your private information from a lot of different places.

• Public Records – Property, vehicle, and court records, driver’s license, census information, birth certificates, marriage, and divorce records, professional licenses, voter registration.
• Online Tracking – Social media, browsing history, game and web apps, etc.
• Commercial Sources – Purchase history, sales amount and payment method, coupons, and so on.
• Loyalty cards – Sometimes, we sign things we don’t read. Loyalty cards are the best example of that because we permit to access our information without understanding how they will use it.

You don’t have to panic! You can remove personal information from the Internet. An online management service can walk you through the steps so that you never get a fake call about extended warranties.

How is data mining legal?

The buying and selling of your name, age, and address is not illegal. Currently, there are no regulations in the United States that forbid websites from giving your information to the highest bidder.

The only ‘rule’ is that the information’s purpose does not determine a person’s credit or employment. But, there are no guard rails in place to stop it, either.

Online privacy tips are great, but sometimes we’ve already signed on the bottom line or clicked yes to a cookie request. But, you can remove yourself from the databases you are already in.

• Opt-out – Even if it is hard to find, every data broker site has an opt-out option. They might require physical letters or faxes because it is more complicated. But be patient and follow their procedure.
• Content Removal Services – Companies specializing in online reputation management and removal are super helpful for the reasons mentioned above. They can keep up with the paperwork and requests, and it is their job to help you through what might be a difficult process.
• Executive privacy – Many people don’t know that data collection sites can hurt a company’s cybersecurity. Gathering information about executives and employees is how bad actors can access a company’s online infrastructure.

You have a right to your personal information. It is not for someone to use for any reason. You can contact an online management specialist, and they will walk you through removing yourself from every data collection site. You don’t have to figure it out on your own.