Want to Keep Your Personal Data Private Online? – Here’s What You Can Do
You would never give anyone permission to put your personal information on display.
So why does your data end up everywhere online?
Most companies require your personal information to keep accounts and offer their services. Once these companies collect your personal information, they often share or resell the data elsewhere.
The problem with this is that many of these companies don’t care who they share your data with, and it’s not possible to remove every piece of your online data. You’d have to dig through thousands of websites to remove your data completely.
However, there are a few ways you can opt-out of sites that sell your personal data.
How to Get Your Personal Information Offline
It’s hopeless to locate every company that has your information displayed online or stored away. The minute you make a purchase or consent to reuse your information, they automatically store your data.
Good thing is, while you may not be able to trace every source, there are ways to remove your data from collection databases.
1. Contact Companies That Have Your Records
Most companies keep a collection of your data for their records when you sign up for their service.
Companies that collect and share your data include the following:
- State motor vehicle department
- Mobile phone providers
- Credit card companies
- Insurance companies
- Former employers.
There are no legal restrictions that keep these companies from disclosing your information to third-party vendors. You can, however, request for your information to be withheld from third-party contributors or vendors if you contact each company. Keep in mind that they don’t have to follow through with your request, but you may be able to pursue invasion of privacy or defamation claims.
2. Opt-Out of Data Broker Sites
A data broker collects your personal information, stores it in a database, and resells the database to third-party sources. Anyone can see or purchase the information in the database. Fortunately, none of these databases can keep your information when you opt-out.
There are a couple of data removal services that can help speed up the opt-out process.
- DeleteMe: For $129 per year, DeleteMe removes your information from more than 30 major data brokers.
- PrivacyDuck: For $499 per year, PrivacyDuck removes all household members’ data from around 90 different data brokers.
These services remove your data from private brokers and offer monthly reports on their progress. If you keep your subscription, you won’t have to remove your data every year.
3. Remove Your Name from Marketing Lists
Why are you contacted at random to take surveys or buy products? Your name has ended up on a telemarketer’s list. If you request to remove your name from a telemarketer’s list, they must oblige.
Register with any of the following services to remove your data:
- DMAchoice: Removes you from telemarketing and direct-marketing lists
- Consumer Credit Reporting Industry: Eliminates credit or insurance offers
Preventing Business Data Privacy Compliance Audits
Are you concerned with your database or network security?
You might not have enough employees to manage your IT department, and creating a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy to prevent data leaks is complicated. Let Technical Framework’s IT management support help you. Our compliance assessment tools manage data privacy tasks and identify vulnerabilities in your business cybersecurity.
Want to stop privacy and data leaks in your business network? Contact Technical Framework to stay on top of your IT department’s privacy requirements.
