How to:Delete your personal information from background check websites

Step-by-step instructions to remove your info from 17 top people search databases

Advertisers & your personal data

You're probably aware that social media sites scrape your personal information in order to target specific advertisements to you.

But did you know there's another category of websites known as people search databases that

will sell your data to anyone interested for a nominal fee as a 'background check?'

Image credit: @violetblue on ZDnet.com

1. Primary sites that collect your information firsthand from your local public records office.

2. Aggregator sites that piggyback off the primary peoplesearch sites. They also scrape data from social networks and public forums.

Most of this information has been publicly available for decades, but the internet has made your private information easy for anyone to access anywhere, anytime, with just one click of a button.

There are 2 types of these peoplefinder sites:

A typical listing on the people search site Spokeo.com, complete with a satellite photo of your house.

How do these sites get your data?

1. Take stock of which sites you're on.● Search for your name on a few of the top sites:

Intelius, Spokeo, Whitepages, Pipl, and DOBSearch.

● Google your name- including alternate spelling, middle names, and with/without quotes.

2. Complete the opt-out instructions for any sites you appear on.

3. Take steps to protect your public information

4. Get professional privacy help (if necessary)

So what can you do?

The good news: most peoplesearch sites will remove your information if you ask them to.

The bad news: these sites make the procedure difficult to discourage you from doing it.

● Some sites have simple opt-out forms● Some will require a fax or mailed form● Others will even require a scanned copy of your

driver's license (always cross out your photo and license #)

How to opt-out

Send the following info when opting out:

1. Specific URLs or copies of the records you'd like removed.2. A list of the following personal information:● First, last name, & middle initial● Any aliases, AKAs, or nicknames● Current address & any addresses going back 10+ years● Full date of birth● Email address (not all sites need this)

3. A professional note to the effect of:"As per your privacy policy please remove my listing and all records from your site and any affiliated databases. Thank you."

4. Include any necessary proof of ID

These sites are all owned by Intelius and they all require a scanned/faxed ID. You can do them all at once by requesting it on the form.

Online opt out

Or: fax written request to 425-974-6194

These are all owned by confi-chek.com and ce be opted out by referncing them all in a single letter. They do require ID.

Mail your letter containing all pertinent info to:

Opt-Out - PrivateEye.com1821 Q StreetSacramento, CA95811

Opt out here - More info here

These sites are easy- they all provide online forms for opting out.

Opt out here

Opt out here

Opt out here - More info here

Privacy policy - opt out by finding your listing and clicking on the page.

Locate your listing then opt out here

Email support@beenverified.com titled "opt out request." Then include all pertinent info about yourself.

Email opt-outs

Search your email address on this page. If you're in their records you'll get an email with how to proceed.

Send an email to privacy@mylife.com with your removal request. You can also call 888-704-1900

LexisNexis is unique in that they only allow certain individuals to remove their private information. People who may request removal of their info:

● Law enforcement or public officials● if you have threats of physical harm against you● cases of identity theft

If you meet these criteria you can read more & opt out here.

Pipl and Yasni are two secondary aggregator sites that refuse to unlist any information under the pretense that "it's all public information anyways."

The good news is Pipl and Yasni only pull data from other sites, so if you successfully remove the source of the information they won't be able to find anything on you.

So you've contacted the offending sites and had your records removed. Great! Now what?

Even after removing your information, these sites are constantly scouring public records offices for new records to publish.

Just because they took down your info once doesn't mean they won't try to post it again.

Protecting your private information

Since the peoplefinder sites pull from public records, limit the amount of information you make public.

Do you really need another grocery store club card?

Don't sign up for big sweepstakes or take part in public contests.

Ask yourself: do I really need this?

To protect your home address, get a post office box and use that as your address for major public records forms.

Get a P.O. box

Online security leaders Reputation.com and Abine both have excellent paid services to protect your private information from these databases:

Reputation.com - MyPrivacyAbine - DeleteMe

Abine also has a great free resource to manually removing your information from these people search sites.

Get professional help

Sgrouples is the first true privacy network that gives you total control over who gets to see your content and who you share with. That's why we drafted the Online Privacy Bill of Rights.

Keep your information safe online

In addition Sgrouples will never track, scrape, or share your private information with anyone. So check us out and Join the Online Privacy Revolution!

Prevent your personal information from being accessed by people and companies you don't know with Sgrouples (sounds like 'scruples').

Abine - comprehensive opt-out list

Abine - DeleteMe

Reddit - Remove yourself from all background check sites

Reputation.com - Myprivacy

Sgrouples - Online Privacy Bill of Rights

ZDnet - how to remove yourself from people search websites

ZDnet - how people search sites get your information

Sgrouples - Join the Online Privacy Revolution!

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