Trying to stop data brokers from selling your info? Good luck. George, your AI host, exposes how over 30 sketchy companies are hiding their opt-out pages from Google on purpose. Plus: Musk sues Apple over AI, job hunting goes retro, and Microsoft gives Excel a crystal ball it probably shouldn’t have.
The airlines sold you out
ChatGPT
Let’s talk about something no one thinks about when booking a flight: where your travel info really goes.
An investigative bombshell from 404 Media just uncovered that the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a company owned by the biggest U.S. airlines, has been giving federal agencies access to passenger records.
No, I’m not talking about flagged terrorists. We’re talking 5 billion ticket records of everyday folks like you and me, completely searchable by the FBI, ICE, the Secret Service and more. Wow.
All without a warrant.
🧳 What they have about you
ARC isn’t a household name, but it processes bookings from over 12,800 travel agencies and 270 airlines. That includes your flight through Expedia, business trip from your company’s travel desk or miles you cashed in last summer.
The data includes your full name, payment method, dates and times of travel, full itinerary and who you traveled with. This info goes into a database that law enforcement can search instantly, no judge or subpoena required.
🤫 It gets worse
The contracts between ARC and these agencies reportedly forbid them from ever revealing ARC as the source of the data. So if your personal travel history helped trigger an investigation or was sold off, you’d never know how they got it.
It’s a direct runaround of the Fourth Amendment, which is supposed to protect you from this kind of unchecked surveillance.
🛡️ Fight back
If this made your stomach drop, you’re not alone. It’s the latest example of data brokers acting as secret surveillance partners.
They buried your opt-out button
Midjourney
This is insane. Like almost cartoon-villain-level shady. Say you’re trying to delete your personal information from some shady data broker’s website that’s selling your data to advertisers, marketing companies, stalkers, coworkers or anyone else with the money.
🕵️♀️ Take your privacy off the market: Data brokers quietly collect and sell your personal info: your email, phone number, even where you live. Incogni automatically removes your data from these sites before it’s sold or leaked. Real protection, running quietly in the background, so you can live life, not defend it.
Protect your privacy without lifting a finger: Tired of your personal data floating around online? Incogni scrubs it from data brokers and people-search sites. Get 60% off with my exclusive offer. They’ll take down info about you on specific sites, too!
Privacy report card: Which AI flunked
ChatGPT
AI bots are our digital sidekicks. They’ve helped me write emails faster, plan my vacations, you name it. But the more we share, the more these bots learn about us. That can come back to bite you. Let’s lock down your data before your secrets become someone else’s payday.
5 steps to take control of your data
ChatGPT
Every day, it feels like there’s another company saying, “Oops, we lost your info.” Feel helpless? Don’t. I’ve got some smart steps that help lock things down and keep creeps from using your info against you. Let’s jump in.
👀 Text surge: It’s not your imagination, scam texts are everywhere. New data shows Americans get hit with 100 a month, way more than folks abroad. Until regulators step up, tighten your digital defenses and cozy up with Do Not Disturb. Scammers buy phone numbers from data brokers. Get your number off these lists by signing up for Incogni. Use this link to get 60% off by using promo code KIM60. I get zero spam texts.
Privacy opt-out trap: Researchers hit up 543 California data brokers to request their data, like you’re legally allowed to do. Nearly half ghosted them entirely. The others? Dead-end forms, pointless hoops and privacy riddles that required even more personal data. So yeah, trying to reclaim your data just means giving up more of it, along with your time. That’s why I use Incogni and you should, too.
Data brokers sell your secrets to stalkers
Your data is for sale online. Anyone can buy it. Darius Belejevas, the Head of Incogni, shows me how stalkers get your personal info for cheap. Plus, monkey muggings in Bali, the Tea app data breach, and a shoe with a hidden slot for an AirTag.
Protect your privacy without lifting a finger: Tired of your personal data floating around online? Incogni scrubs it from data brokers and people-search sites. With my exclusive link, get 60% off unlimited plans. Choose which sites to target, and take back your privacy today!
😨 Data brokers turn deadly: This is horrifying. The man accused of assassinating Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband allegedly used people search sites (paywall link) to stalk them. If criminals can track politicians, they can track you. That’s why you need Incogni to get your info off those websites.
Elder fraud is exploding: Your data is making it worse
ChatGPT
I’ve got bad news: Today’s online scammers know everything about you. They’re scraping your info and everyone else’s from the web and buying the rest from data brokers and people-search sites.
Folks age 60-plus are the biggest target. Almost 72% of scams start with personal data grabbed online. Data brokers vacuum up your info like phone numbers, emails, past addresses, income, favorite takeout spots and then auction it off like eBay for creepers.
Protect your privacy without lifting a finger: Tired of your personal data floating around online? Incogni scrubs it from data brokers and people search sites. With my exclusive link, get 60% off unlimited plans. Choose which sites to target, and take back your privacy today!
Get your info removed from the internet: Data brokers sell your info all the time without your knowledge. Incogni helps to delete your private information online automatically. So many readers and listeners say it’s worth every penny. I definitely agree. Get 60% off with code KIM60 today!
😤 Sick of strangers selling your personal info? That’s why I use and trust Incogni. It forces data brokers to delete your private information automatically. Right now, you can get 60% off with my exclusive deal . It’s a small price to pay for real peace of mind. Take back control of your privacy today!
Your privacy restored
© Eduard Goricev | Dreamstime.com, © Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com
Ever Googled yourself and thought, “What the heck is that doing online?” Old addresses, phone numbers and even the car you drive are all out there. Worse, it’s probably on some sketchy people search site or buried in a mountain of search results.
What you need to know about DeepSeek
© Rokas Tenys | Dreamstime.com, play.google.com
I’ve been saying it for years: The country that masters AI will dominate the world economically, politically and militarily. Since ChatGPT dropped, the U.S. seemed untouchable. Most of us Americans assumed we were a couple of years ahead of China in terms of AI, but the game has changed — and fast.
Why I used Incogni to wipe my info off the internet
I got this note the other day from Mike S. (Hi, Mike! 👋): “Next time you talk about Incogni, maybe you can do a deep dive?”
Mike, you’re not the only reader who’s asked for a more in-depth look at how Incogni works and why I chose it to wipe my info from data broker sites. I picked this service before they became a sponsor. So, without further ado …
Shortcut to reading annoying privacy policies
© Fairoesh N. | Dreamstime.com
Tech privacy policies are confusing on purpose. I know, big shocker! But I’m always surprised by just how difficult these things are to comb through and what they hide.
Today, I’m calling out the biggest offenders — and sharing one of my favorite, easy-to-use privacy tools.