The internet is a magnificent thing. However, it can also lead to numerous problems when our personal information gets into the wrong hands. Data brokers scour public records to find and sell your information to others.
DeleteMe was developed to help individuals protect themselves and their family by getting their personal information removed from search results. If you're wondering whether you should sign up with DeleteMe, read through our review below. We'll share more about how DeleteMe works and some of the benefits of using their services.
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How Does Your Personal Information Get Online?
Data brokers collect and sell your information to advertisers, employers, insurance agencies, marketers, data mining corporations and more. These groups are willing to pay top dollar to get your information, so data brokers invest a lot in collecting and selling your personally identifiable information (PII).
To uncover your PII, data brokers scour the internet. They look through various public records, social media, government sites, and a variety of other sources. As they collect information on you, they build a profile that they can then sell to other agencies and groups looking to collect your information.
As you can imagine, there are a number of potential privacy and security concerns that can arise from your information ending up in the wrong hands. It can lead to identify theft, discrimination based on something in your information, or losing out on a job you were interested in.
What is DeleteMe?
DeleteMe was formed in 2011 by Abine, Inc. The Online Privacy Company. Their goal was to help address the ever-increasing privacy concerns associated with the online world in which we live.
As the ways different groups collect people's information online, DeleteMe has worked hard to modify and evolve their practices to ensure they are providing the best protection and privacy possible for their customers. Their mission it to put their customers back in control of owning and managing their personal information by removing it from search results.
How Does DeleteMe Reduce Your Online Footprint?
DeleteMe will work to remove your personally identifying information from data broker websites. This will make your online footprint smaller and remove the Google search results that are displayed when someone searches for you.
When you sign up with DeleteMe, all you'll need to do is provide them with your personal information, so they can work to make sure it is effectively removed from search engines. Once you have submitted your information, the DeleteMe team will get to work searching for and deleting your personal information.
When they find your information on a data broker's website, they will submit an opt-out request to remove your information from the site. Then, they will follow-up and re-check the site to verify that your personal information was actually taken down.
Seven days after signing up, you'll receive a detailed report from DeleteMe. The report will list the different databases that were scanned, the personal information that was discovered, and what the team is doing to make sure it is deleted.
Every three months, DeleteMe will re-check online data brokers to confirm that none of your information has reappeared. Since new data brokers are frequently being created, DeleteMe works to make sure your information does not appear on their sites as well.
Which Sites Can DeleteMe Remove My Information From?
Since the list of data broker websites is constantly changing, DeleteMe works hard to discover new sites they can add to their list. Their standard subscription plans will help remove your information from more than 30 different data broker websites. Some of these sites include:
If you find out about other data broker websites that are not addressed by DeleteMe's services, reach out to them and share the website. They will conduct research to see if they'll be able to remove your information from the site. If so, they'll add the site to their list.
Unfortunately, there are some sites that DeleteMe will not be able to remove your information from. Most often, these sites are not based in the United States. DeleteMe will work with you and share information about what you'll be able to do to get your information removed from these sites, though.
DIU Opt-Out Guide
If you'd prefer to remove your personal information from data brokers' websites on your own instead of paying DeleteMe for your services, they have created a free opt-out guide to help you.
While doing it yourself will obviously save you money, removing your personal information from the over 30 websites that DeleteMe will take care of will be very time-consuming. And, if there are other members of your household that you'd like to protect as well, it will add even more time to the process.
If you still decide you want to remove your information on your own, you can find the opt-out instructions for the different data broker sites shared by DeleteMe on their website.
Subscription Plans
There are a few different subscription options that you'll be able to choose from. DeleteMe offers plans for individuals, couples, or families (of up to 4 people).
You can choose to sign up for a one-year or a two-year plan. Two-year plans work out to cost less each month. So, if you're planning to use DeleteMe's services for longer than a year, signing up for a two-year plan will be the most economical.
If you are a business owner, DeleteMe also offers plans for employers. Keeping your employees' information secure will not only protect them, but it will provide protection for your business as well. When people are able to access the personal information of your employees, it can be used to target them or your company.
DeleteMe is able to remover over 200 pieces of information on each employee, on average. It is trusted by 35% of fortune 50 companies to provide protection and peace of mind.
There are two different business plans available. The two plans offered are the Employee Plan and the Executive Plan.
The Employee Plan will help you remove up to 50 sources of information. It also provides protection for 15 different name variations, 15 addresses, and 15 email addresses. You'll receive six reports each year and compliance audits of sites removed will be conducted very two months.
With the Executive Plan, you can customize the number of data sources that are removed. This plan also includes protection for an unlimited number of name variations, addresses, and email addresses. 12 reports will be provided to your company each year and monthly compliance audits of the sites removed will be conducted.
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Final Verdict
If you're looking to protect your privacy and personal information, getting it removed from data broker websites is a crucial step. DeleteMe can handle this tedious and time-consuming task for you, allowing you to focus on everything else that is on your list. Sign up for their services today to enjoy the peace of mind that will come with knowing your information won't be shared or sold anymore.
