How to Opt Out of the Most Popular People Search Sites
Even though online people search sites can be incredibly useful, they can also be incredibly embarrassing, especially if the information on the sites isn’t current or isn’t accurate. Fortunately, you don’t have to sit back and take this embarrassment; instead, you can opt out of some of the most popular sites so that your personal information no longer shows up when people search your name online
A service you should definitely not use
By submitting a do-not-sell form, you can opt out of the most popular people search sites. To stop your information from being sold by consumer data mining companies and put on websites where anyone can find it, you will need to submit a personal do-not-sell form. This is also known as an opt out or opt in form. Once submitted, the company has two choices: either refrain from selling your personal information or send it to other companies that have agreed not to resell it. Consumer data mining companies sell your personal information for various purposes such as marketing lists, credit card offers, product offers etc. If this sounds like a mistake you want made more difficult to make than a credit card transaction, follow these steps
A list of services you might want to use
Opting out of popular people search sites can help you maintain your privacy while browsing the internet. In this post, we’ll cover the top 6 most popular people search sites and the steps required to opt out of them. Before we dive in, I should mention that none of these companies provide a way for you to remove your information from their site entirely – you’ll need to contact each company separately if you want your profile removed entirely. They do provide an opt-out feature on their individual website though, which essentially means that they’ll refrain from publicizing certain information about you (information such as name, address and phone number) online when someone enters your name into their website’s search bar.
A more in-depth look at the top two people search sites
People search sites are a way for people to do a quick online background check on an individual. It’s especially easy with sites like Spokeo, which pull in personal information from social networks, public records, and other sources. The problem with these types of searches is that many times the data is incomplete or incorrect. For this reason it’s important to go into your account settings and change your personal information (name, address) so that the search will bring up what you want it to show.
Opt Out of the Most Popular People Search Sites
Do I need an email opt out on each site?
There are three major people search sites and as you might expect, they offer different levels of opt out success rates. Generally speaking, the more sensitive your personal information is the better chance you have of getting it deleted completely.
Opting out of any of these sites can help save time from filling out applications or during interviews but it’s important that those with a criminal background understand that removing their records from one site may not mean they will be removed from the other two. To make sure your new start doesn’t have some ugly skeletons in its closet, you should seek legal counsel before embarking on this venture.
What about Facebook?
Chances are, if you have a Facebook account, there’s information out there about you. Most people know that Facebook, like other social media sites and search engines, collects some type of information about them automatically when they visit the site. But did you know that it also stores personal details you voluntarily post, such as your birthday or interests? If the idea of your personal data being saved and potentially made public in the future bothers you (even though it may not now), opting out is simple and won’t take more than 10 minutes of your time. All you need to do is go into Settings in your account and click on Manage Ads where you can adjust a variety of settings – one of which is turning off ads based on things like age and location.
What about other location tracking tools?
Do a quick search for the major people search sites and then find the Opt Out button or form that each site offers. For many of these services, you’ll need to enter your name, e-mail address, password, and zip code. The form will usually ask you to click an Opt Out button or submit a form before it’s completed.
How can I make sure my data isn’t on another site?
Opting out of the most popular people search sites is the first step in ensuring your data isn’t being scraped by others. To opt out of these sites, go through the following steps:
Search for the name of the site you want to opt out of. Click on their Privacy Policy page. Look for a link that says Privacy Preferences or Opt Out. Follow any instructions given on this page and sign up with an email address that is not linked to your other accounts and hasn’t been previously opted out by you.
Opting out should take only five minutes and will save you a lot of worry in the future. The next time someone looks up your name they won’t find anything sensitive because you took action!
Can I be tracked after opting out?
After opting out of the most popular people search sites, you can’t assume that you’ll be free from future tracking. Whether it’s by search engine bots or security breaches, there are a lot of ways for people to find your personal information if they want to. You should look into checking any accounts you have linked with Facebook or Google Plus, like Amazon and Yelp for example. They might have put your email on public display or send in reviews about your purchases which show up on the page. Sometimes it takes awhile for the opt-out process to work so just be patient and keep checking back at various intervals. Some programs will notify you of whether it’s safe before giving more information.
