ByHow to Remove Personal Information from the Internet Quickly and Easily
It's not every day that you find your sensitive bank information or awkward photos floating delicately on the web. When it happens, you're bound to feel helpless, devastated, and out of sorts. Wondering ? You have come to the right place! We can help end the agony of watching your personal information floating dangerously on the web.
How Can I Remove My Personal Information for Free?
Request Data Brokers to Remove Your Personal Data
Data broker websites have a massive collection of personal information, such as names, phone numbers, and addresses. If you discover that one of these websites has your information, you can request to have it removed by submitting a written request. However, this can be a tedious process because you need to send separate requests to each data broker.
Minimize and Reduce Your Digital Footprint
Data brokers often collect personal information from public social media profiles, published blog posts, or any created content online. It's important to regularly review your digital footprint and remove any old posts that you no longer wish to share. If you find that you have been mentioned in other people's articles or social media profiles, consider reaching out and asking them to remove any content that involves you.
Why Is It So Difficult to Get Personal Information Taken Off the Internet?
If you try to remove private details about yourself online, you'll quickly learn that there are many obstacles blocking your path to true online privacy.
The average internet user is completely unaware of the countless ways their personal data is being used and shared. The people making it hard to take down personal information from the internet are known as data brokers, and they have a very good reason to do that -- it makes them money.
How exactly do these brokers make money from personal info? Brokers sell it to companies who 're itching to get your personal information for the purpose of creating targeted online ads. Others will use that info to determine how likely it is that you'll file an insurance claim or get into an auto accident. Others may also use it to determine how likely it is that you'll default on a personal loan.
It is not surprising, then, that it's incredibly difficult to pull down personal information from the internet.
How to Remove Personal Information from the Internet On Your Own
Yes, it's difficult to on your own. But it's not impossible. There are several approaches you can take.
| Opt out your information from data brokers | To remove yourself from data broker sites, follow these simple steps:
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| Delete your online shopping accounts | You may also want to delete your shopping accounts. Follow these steps, and you'll be good to go:
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| Request removal directly from search engines like Google | Search engines like Google don't remove much from their search results, but you can file for removing special case information. This includes social security numbers, an image of your signature, bank account or credit account numbers, or personal pictures uploaded without your consent.
If you fall into one of the above categories, you can fill out a form to request that the offending URL be removed from Google's search results. Here's how to do it.
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| Remove your info directly from websites | To pull down sensitive information directly from a website, here's what to do:
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As a last resort, you may consider hiring someone to remove your information from the internet. Beware, though, such professionals do not come cheap.
Next Steps If You Can't Get Your Private Information Pulled Down from the Internet
What can you do if you've tried removing personal information from the net with little or no success? One course of action you can pursue is filing a privacy complaint against the platform with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
While the FTC won't directly handle your request, they'll use your complaint to investigate and bring similar cases against the platform you're reporting. In some cases, the FTC will link you up with the organization responsible for handling specific types of privacy complaints. For example, if your case relates to credit card or debit card misappropriation, the FTC will effectively redirect you to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Here's how to go about it:
- Go to FTC's Complaint Assistant
- Click the banner that says: "Concerned about how a company is handling your personal information? Click here to report privacy concerns."
- Follow the instructions provided
However, it's important to note that this process is extremely lengthy and frustrating. A single privacy complaint can take months or even years to resolve. Luckily, there's a solution that takes the hassle out of removing personal information from the internet. Say hello to DoNotPay!
Let DoNotPay Remove Personal Information from the Internet on Your Behalf
We know that having your personal information floating on the net is unfair, devastating, and quite frankly, embarrassing. This is why we've created an app for the rights of people whose reputations have been damaged by data brokers and unscrupulous websites. With DoNotPay, you 'll be able to reinstate your public image and regain your self-esteem and confidence.
This is how you'll do it in 5 easy steps:
- Search "Remove My Information" on DoNotPay
- Choose whether you want to remove your information from Google searches, YouTube videos, or data brokers in general.
- If it's for a Google search or YouTube video, tell us more about the specific content you want removed, including the URLs it's currently being displayed.
- If it's for a data broker, choose which data broker you want your information removed from, or choose the "All-in" option to remove your information from all of them!
- DoNotPay will automatically carry out opt-out requests for each data broker or submit removal requests from the search engines. You can expect to receive confirmation emails from the data brokers.
Why Use DoNotPay to Solve Your Privacy Concerns
Do you really need to spend days trying to submit your privacy claim with the FTC or requesting Google to remove an awkward photo from its search results?
Believe it or not, the answer is no! Thanks to DoNotPay, you can at the comfort of your home. Our app is:
- Fast. You don't have to spend hours (or days) trying to delete embarrassing or sensitive information from the internet. With DoNotPay, you can do it in minutes!
- Easy. You don't have to struggle filling out lengthy and clunky complaint forms online. It's all effortless with DoNotPay.
- Successful. You can rest assured knowing that we'll opt out of all the data broker sites and websites that have your private information. That's our promise to you.
DoNotPay Works Across All Companies/Entities/Groups With a Click of a Button
DoNotPay is here to stay, and it can do a lot for you regarding your online privacy issues. If you need help with removing personal details from Whitepages or your name from the Organ Donor Registry California, DoNotPay is the app for you.
All you need to do is open DoNotPay in any and let us make your life easier.
DoNotPay will assist you in:
- Removing personal information from Google (including photos and phone numbers)
- Permanently deleting your number from Facebook
- Erasing your name from Spokeo
- Completely removing your name from MyLife
- Pulling down your phone number from Google
- Pulling the plug on spam mail
- Managing credit card issues
- Managing bills you're finding hard to pay
- Being refunded or compensated by airlines