Google says it will now automatically start deleting user data, by default for new users and with a quick settings change for the rest of us. Now one question remains: Can you ever truly erase what Google knows about you? I wouldn’t bet on it.
How to remove yourself from US Search
Like it or not, your personal information is online for anyone to find. This can include your full name, address, phone number, police record, employment information and more. People search sites scrape this information from public records, court records, social media and other sources.
Many sites exist solely to offer such services. You only need a small piece of information, such as a person’s phone number, and from there, you can locate more information on them. Tap or click here for our running list of people search sites with instructions for removal.
For this entry in our weekly Opt-Out Tuesday series on removing yourself from people search sites, we’ll show you how to remove yourself from US Search.
Avoid people search sites at all costs, especially if it costs you
Most of these sites are scammy in nature. You may think you’re paying for one report and have been roped into recurring charges. Don’t pay to remove your information from any site. This process must be provided for free, as seen in the steps below.
Do you have older relatives who may not know about these sites? While opting out yourself, why not do the same for them? Just type in their information as you would your own, and follow our steps to completion.
PSA: There’s an easier way
Below, I’ll give you the steps to remove yourself from US Search, but that’s just one of hundreds of such sites. If you want to remove them all in one go, check out Incogni.
Incogni does all that hard work for you. It took me three minutes to complete the sign-up process. Then, they get to work removing you from 180+ sites. After that initial setup, you don’t have to lift a finger. So great.
I have a special deal just for you. Right now, get 60% off an annual subscription using code KIM60.
Pioneering data broker
One of the earliest people search sites is US Search, launched in 1993. The site boasts that you can use it to access billions of records. Like many such sites, this one claims to help you “find long-lost friends and family members.” You can bet those aren’t the only types of people using these sites.
I ticked off the creepy people-search sites, and you can, too
© One Photo | Dreamstime.com
My son asked me where I lived for a few months in Los Angeles over 25 years ago. It was a gig working for Unisys that was far from memorable. He found that address at a free people search site, along with my other addresses and cell phone numbers. Nice.
🤖 OpenAI is building a social network: It’ll be its own version of X. The prototype apparently has a social feed focused on image generation using ChatGPT. No word yet if it’ll be a new app or built into the current one. Why do this? Real-time user data = more fuel to train their models.
TikTok’s Dark Side: Why it’s more than just a fun app & you need to remove it
The U.S. is inching closer and closer to a nationwide ban on TikTok. Those short, shareable videos make it the largest social app out there. Get this: 150 million Americans use TikTok, including about two-thirds of teens.
List: The very worst gifts you can give if you care about privacy
Facebook.com/Ray-Ban.com
Anytime you go online or use a connected device, your privacy is at risk. This isn’t to say you should throw away all your tech and live in a cave, but there are ways to minimize exposure.
Let’s start with your choice of browser. This has a significant impact on your online experience. Many browsers share popular features like dark mode, but when it comes to privacy, you’ll find a greater distinction. Tap or click here for the best privacy-focused browsers, ranked.
There's no end to the ways Facebook collects your info
Facebook has been in the news for quite some time about the way it has handled data from users. But this time, Facebook is not the one doing the spying. It turns out, other apps are selling all their user data to Facebook. Kim looks at the latest research about how Facebook is getting data from other apps.
Facebook is getting social with your bank account
Facebook has been in talks with some of the biggest banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup trying to convince them to share millions of customers account data. But as we all know, Facebook has a less than stellar reputation in safeguarding user data. Do you want Facebook’s hands in your bank account?