Data Broker Removal Service
Identity theft is a worry most people push to the back of their minds because they think that no one would ever target them. Many believe it's an unlikely threat, but cybercriminals are closer than they think.
Our personal details are spreading at an alarming rate. Social media, business breaches, and even simple web browsing allow data brokers to collect and sell information easily. Many sites we willingly sign up for add to this wealth of data, too. Your full name and at least a few email addresses will likely be floating around their databases.
IDStrong's data broker removal service takes the power out of their hands. Our comprehensive online scans and monitoring process removes your sensitive information from sites across the web.
Why You Should Remove
Your Information from the Internet
While some companies collect data for benign purposes, you never know when malicious actors might step in. Here are some of the biggest reasons to use IDStrong's removal services today.
Protecting Your Privacy
Data brokers collect and sell personal information about individuals, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more. This opens the door to online fraudsters and identity thieves. Many of these cases are caused by trivial events that may expose you to increased risk.
Monitoring New Uploads
You never know when brokers might add more information to their sites. Even if you've successfully removed yourself from every database, a new broker could pop up and undo all your hard work. Information can still pop up even after opting out, making long-term monitoring essential. IDStrong's scanning service keeps an eye out for new instances of your information and sends an alert directly to your email.
Avoiding Identity Theft
Severe data breaches and even public data can expose vital information like full names including maiden names, birthdays, emails, bank details, and social security numbers. Cybercriminals can easily use these to gain access to certain accounts that allow them to steal your identity and damage your reputation and credit standing. They may even commit further fraud in your name.
Preventing Spam and Unwanted Marketing
Robocalls, unsolicited texts, and spam emails are the trifecta of annoying online messages. Data brokers use your personal information to create marketing profiles used in targeted advertising campaigns. So, even if you've never shown interest in a company, they can still contact you. Removing yourself from their databases gives you more control over your online experience.
Removing your information from data brokers' hands is essential in protecting your privacy, reducing your risk of identity theft, and maintaining control over your personal information. It can be a challenging process, but there are tools and services available that can help make it easier.
How to Check What Information
is Available on You
If you're concerned about what data brokers know about you, there are several ways to check what is out there.
Use IDStrong's Lookup Services
Our scans search through hundreds of different data brokers with billions of records, including the dark web, to find instances of your exposed information. This is a much more comprehensive way to check data brokers' databases since they often try to stay out of the public eye. Just give us a few personal details you want us to watch out for, and you'll receive a notification whenever it shows up.
IDStrong’s initial scan is completely free. You’ll get a snapshot of all the exposed information you didn’t know was out there.
Review Social Media
Check your privacy settings on your social media accounts to see what information is available to the public. You can also search for your name on different social media platforms to see what posts or comments are associated with your name.
By taking these steps, you can get a better understanding of what information is available online and take steps to remove any information that you don't want to be public. It's important to be diligent and check regularly, as new information can appear online anytime.
Google Yourself
The first step is to run a Google search of your name. Check if any of your professional or social profiles pop up or if your name is mentioned in third-party posts. However, you'll likely find websites about others who share your name.
If you're concerned about something particular, specify your search with keywords like. For example, "Robert Smith Florida Divorce".
Ask Data Brokers Themselves
One of the best ways to learn what data brokers know is to ask them yourself. It’s easy to search your results since you can narrow the broker’s search by confirming facts like former addresses, age, and family relations.
These search engines are much more precise than Google and can pull up social media accounts, criminal history, and other basic information. However, you’ll need to pay a premium fee to get a complete look at what they know.
When left unchecked, data brokers can uncover a lot. Each broker allows you to go through and remove your information, but the process is time-consuming and can involve a lot of regular checking back in to make sure your information is gone. Below are the industry's most prominent data brokers with opt-out links that prevent them from collecting and selling your information.
How IDStrong Works
1. Monitor
We continuously monitor your personal and financial information, scouring the dark web for potential threats, active data breaches, and network element leaks.
2. Alert
If we locate your information somewhere in the dark recesses of the Internet, we will instantly notify you, alerting you to any information leaked, exposed, or breached.
3. Resolve
We won’t just alert you of the dangers; we’ll help you resolve them. Our identity protection experts are available 24/7 to help you take the necessary actions to restore your identity and get back to normalcy.
Our Benefits
Identity Monitoring
Our business is monitoring billions of records on the dark web. If we find anything about your information, we alert you to the risks and offer recovery strategies.
Credit Monitoring
One of the essential elements of your identity is that we monitor your credit profile for suspicious inquiries, new loans, or credit-related changes. That means no surprises when it’s time to put a down payment on your dream home or car.
Privacy Monitoring
Personal information is the lifeblood of data brokers. They collect and sell it on a massive scale, and when your data is harvested online and neatly parceled into their systems, we allow you to remove it with a click.
Up to $1 million Identity Theft Insurance *
If you are a victim of ID theft, we’ve got you covered. We will cover up to $1 million for theft recovery expenses. If the worst happens, that gives you peace of mind and a financial safety net.
Lost Wallet Assistance
We’ve got you covered, even if your wallet is lost or stolen. We’ll provide quick, reliable help navigating the world of data defense and structure the best recovery options for your situation. Our experts walk you through the process step-by-step.
Identity Restoration
If you experience identity theft, our expert fraud resolution team will deliver personalized support; we’ll investigate the situation, recover what we can, and restore your identity to its rightful status.
* The Identity Theft Insurance is underwritten and administered by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company.
Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. Review the Summary of Benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a data broker?
A data broker is a company that collects and sells personal information about individuals from various sources like public records, online activity, shopping history, and location data. Unlike social media platforms and search engines, data brokers usually operate behind the scenes. They don't create a direct relationship with the individuals whose information they sell.
Why should I care about data brokers?
Data brokers can collect and sell your personal information without your knowledge or consent. Leaving them unchecked can lead to privacy and security concerns like identity theft, unwanted advertising, and even discriminatory practices when interacting with banks and businesses.
What is a data broker removal service?
A data broker removal service is an online service that helps individuals remove their personal information from various data brokers and other online sources. IDStrong's scans benefit individuals concerned about their privacy or who have been the victim of identity theft.
Can I remove my online data myself?
There are a few ways to remove your personal data without going through a service. Google allows users to request content removal from websites at any point in time, but this isn't a guaranteed process. Also, Google only scans websites that appear in basic searches and only notify you for new instances of your information getting posted. It is free to opt out of data collection, but the process can be incredibly confusing and time-consuming.
How do data broker removal services work?
Data broker removal services scan the internet for instances of your personal information and then contact the relevant data brokers to request that your information be removed.
We check in with the data brokers and websites to ensure that the information has been removed. In some cases, additional requests or documentation may be required to remove everything.
How long does it take for my information to be removed?
The time it takes to remove your information varies depending on the specific data broker and the amount of information they have on file. Some data brokers may remove your information immediately, while others may take several weeks. Our service is regularly looking for information changes, removing information when it appears back from those data brokers that take longer to process your request.
How effective is a data broker removal service like IDStrong?
IDStrong has a proven history of identifying and removing your personal information from data broker's databases. You can always go through and remove the data for yourself, but you will need to go back monthly and annually to ensure the information has not reappeared since most of it comes from public sources. By opting for a data broker removal service, you no longer need to do that since the service does it for you.
Can I completely remove my information from the internet?
There are thousands of data brokers thriving on your information. While a data broker removal service can help, clearing everything away may not be possible, and previously deleted information could resurface.
This is why continuous monitoring services are a game changer. IDStrong regularly looks for new sites uploading your information and intervenes before they can further spread your personal data.
How can I protect my personal information from data brokers?
Protecting your privacy doesn't require heavy restrictions on your online activity. It's about building healthy habits and using services that passively keep you safe. The best things you can start doing today are adopting unique passwords, sharing less on social media, and installing a virtual private network (VPN) on all your devices.
