Encrypt The Planet

  

This article will discuss the companies that sell your personal information, and what you can do to take back your privacy. It is a time consuming process that can takes months to see any results. You can hire companies like Reputation Defender and Lifelock, But there is a difference between the two services. Click here to see the differences, or you can begin the tedious process yourself. Why would you want to remove your name and personal information from the web? If you have to ask yourself that question, keep reading.

In this day and age the information you perceive to be private, is no longer. Companies have made big business of harvesting your "personal" information from the internet. How can this be possible? You may ask? It is rather easy. It can be as simple as ordering a pizza, entering sweepstakes, getting a magazine subscription, or using a store loyalty card. Every time you do one of these actions your name, address, telephone number gets entered into a database. This database can then be shared or sold to third parties, which often times could be the case. Buying a house or property your information gets entered into your counties database which is easily and publicly available. Any one of the data mining companies have made big business of buying, selling and storing your personal information, and they know all about you. Let's look at what this means for you.  

Criminals can make their living  stealing your identity, opening lines of credit in your name, raping your bank accounts, or even stalking you, your family, or your children. They do not have to go very far to get what they need. One report from any of the data mining companies can give them exactly what they need. Your name, phone number, address, date of birth, social security number, credit card information, bank account information, criminal history, including civil cases, bankruptcy, documents filed with local courts, driver license information, family members, associations, business names, your company information, places of employment past and current, even DNA records in some cases. Everything you once perceived to be private, is now accessible to anyone for a price. Not only can criminals pay for a report on you, there are plenty of security breeches with the data mining companies that house your personal information. Some have included over 100,000 people's information reports being hacked from these companies. A more comprehensive list of security breeches of your information can be found here.

Another problem with these reports, they may contain outright wrong and erroneous information which can be damaging to you. Employers, banks, credit card companies can conduct background searches on you prior to your employment and during any application process also. These reports have been known to contain criminal histories that are not those of the person in question. Instantly, you are now a possible criminal in their eyes.

What about that nosy neighbor, business competitor, or someone who is outright trying to destroy your good name? May be you are a Soldier or a Law Enforcement Officer, or just an average citizen who wants to protect yourself from the encroachment on your liberties. You know full well of the dangers of having your personal identifying information plastered all over the internet. Perhaps you have been smart enough not to post this information on websites, but it is there, and it is being sold. We showed you how it got there, but the real question now is: Who is buying it?

a well known file sharing network. We searched for the word "credit card & identification" and came up with some very interesting results. We found several text documents detailing someones personal information: Social Security numbers, telephone numbers, addresses, Driver Licenses, business names, place of birth, even displaying the equity they had on their homes... This was a specific attempt to harm someone by the perpetrator(s) who at the end of the document called them: "tax cheats" and to "use their information to open credit accounts, and F**K them up". Obviously someone with a vendetta against someone else. This level of detailed information can only come from someone who had access to it, like for instance someone who works for a bank loan office... Or the perpetrator just paid for a background check on one of the many of the online datamining companies, which offer this level of detailed information.

Is it legal for these companies to sell your information? So far the US government has not created adequate laws which protect citizens private information. Some States are enacting laws but are slow at recognizing the problem. The data mining companies develop software which scour and scrape publicly available data from places such as your local county assessors office, which has your property parcel listed, and possibly the home owners name, price paid, etc.

Intelius, one of the biggest identity brokers states the following: "Public records are available from the official public records custodian or repository to anyone who requests them. In order for any database of public records to be useful, the databases must contain all of the information in the public records offices. Our data files must accurately reflect the underlying public records, and we do not remove or suppress any information that is both accurate and publicly available." and, "If you have a compelling privacy or security issue, you may wish to contact the official custodians of those public records that contain sensitive information about you, such as your county's land records office, to determine how to remove your information from the public record. (The process of having public records sealed typically requires a court order.) This process will ensure that the information is not available to the public, to Intelius, or to any other public records information provider."

Further, the same companies which offer your information for a fee also try to sell you "identity protection". Basically while they try to protect your identity (which they sell) from being "stolen", they alert you of someone possibly is using your name or social security number. The same company could very well be selling the criminal the same information necessary for him or her to steal your identity! In this case, that person paid for it. Sounds like a solid business plan, and a win win situation for the company. The only problem is, it is a losing situation for you. Once the criminal has your information he can do with it what he will, keeping it to manipulate at a later date, perhaps even after you stop your "identity protection service". So why not remove your information from these services all together?  As long as you have property in your name, credit cards in your name, bank accounts in your name, vehicles registered to you, and have court documents filed in your county recorders office you will never be 100% invisible to the system which data miners have exploited. For now, removing your name from the big data mining companies is the best way to possibly protecting your identity. It is a long process, that will require patience and persistence. Once you do, it is a constant process to keep checking their records to see if your name reappears and begin the process over again.

There are also privacy and human rights concerns associated with data mining, specifically regarding the source of the data analyzed, and how and who stores it. Data mining provides information that may be difficult to obtain otherwise. When the data collected involves US citizens, there are many red flags raised concerning privacy, legality, and ethics. Datamining could also be a useful tool for national security or law enforcement purposes, such as in the Total Information Awareness Program. Government agencies such as the FBI allegedly use the publicly availiable datamining companies to gain personal information on anyone if needed. Of course there is a specific need for national security issues however, the alleged idea that a government or law enforcement agency use the public data mining companies adds weight to the fact these companies know all about you, and have your information readily availiable. Read this three page article. and more information on the Total Information Awareness Program; and what it is currently.

NEWLY DECLASSIFIED FILES DETAILS MASSIVE FBI DATAMINING PROJECT (23 SEPT. 2009)

Below begins a list of some of the main companies that buy and sell your personal information. Some of these companies may not have an opt out policy to have your personal information removed from being sold or stored by them. Check with your state and  local laws to see if there are a privacy laws which can further protect you, and force removal from these identity peddalers. For instance, California has a law directed to assist public officials (only) with removing their personal information: California Government Code 6254.21 and 6254.24

1. Try to access their services and see if your name and information actually exists before you begin the opt out process.

2. Since this article has come out, there has been quite a response from our readers. Some of these companies now try to make you pay to remove your information, unless: You can prove you are a victim of identity fraud or identity theft, or you are a public official. Note: If you have ever had someone try to make fradulent purchases on your credit card, request a statement from your credit card company that in fact you had been a victim. If they wont do this, it may be possible to file a police report which would give you the necessary documentation to prove to these companies that you are a victim. Then, they are forced to comply with your opt out demand. We are not lawyers and do not offer legal counsel or advice, so check with your local police department or personal lawyer before making these descisions.

Choicepoint is the biggest of all the datamining and personal information aggregators. To see just how big they are read the testimony before the California Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee. This is the same company the FBI has contracted with.

It is almost impossible for the average citizen to remove themselves from Choicepoint's data base. Read thier policy:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ChoicePoint Public Facing Products ^[1]

Individuals may opt-out of ChoicePoint public facing products¹ in accordance with laws or if permitted by ChoicePoint policy.

Certain state laws provide that their law enforcement officers and specific public and elected officials can opt-out of ChoicePoint public facing products.¹ In addition, public and elected officials, including law enforcement officers, may request to opt-out of ChoicePoint public facing products¹ in cases where the official is on a high-profile assignment, or under threat of death or serious bodily harm.  Law enforcement officers and public and elected officials may submit their opt-out requests using the form at the link below.

Private individuals who are facing a substantial risk of physical harm or who are victims of identity theft may request to opt-out of ChoicePoint public facing products.¹ Individuals who may request to opt-out for these reasons may submit their requests online or by mail. Each request must include documentation substantiating the risk of physical harm or the individual's status as an identity theft victim. Acceptable documentation includes a properly filed police report, a letter from a law enforcement agency, or the name and contact information of a law enforcement official who is familiar with the situation and able to provide confirmation. Requests may be submitted using the form at the link below. If the supporting documentation cannot be uploaded, individuals may submit their requests online, but also must mail the supporting documents to this address:

ChoicePoint Inc.
1000 Alderman Drive
Maildrop 71-A
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Attn:  Legal Opt-Out

Click here to submit requests to opt-out of ChoicePoint public facing products.¹

If you have any difficulty completing this online form, please contact the Consumer Center for assistance at 1-888-203-7969.

[1] KnowX.

ChoicePoint Security Freezes
If you live in certain states or the District of Columbia, you may have the ability to place a “security freeze” on specific ChoicePoint consumer reports and subsequently release or "lift" a freeze at some later date. Depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, these actions may include a fee. Click here for more information on specific security freezes for ChoicePoint’s consumer reports available where you live.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. You need to be a law enforcement official in a certain state, or a law enforcement official or public official that is is on a high-profile assignment, or under threat of death or serious bodily harm.

2. The average citizen cannot optout of Choicepoint unless he/she has been a victim of identity fraud; he/she is facing a substantial risk of physical harm and must prove it.

3. You can however place a security freeze on your credit file which would limit the information Choicepoint sells. Someone could just order a different report from them, about you.

In other words, you cant be proactive in protecting yourself and your identity. You are forced to be reactive, after the damage has already been done you may then start to emerse yourself in the beurocratic OPTOUT removal process with Choicepoint. Amazing!

At Privacy International's Big Brother Award ceremony held in Cambridge, MA on March 7, 2001, ChoicePoint received the "Greatest Corporate Invader" award "for massive selling of records, accurate and inaccurate to cops, direct marketers and election officials." At Privacy International's Big Brother Award ceremony held in Seattle, Washington in April 2005, ChoicePoint received the "Lifetime Menace Award" for its continued efforts to build dossiers on individuals.

Intelius is one of the largest of the consumer data brokers online. If someone is looking for your personal information, this is likely where they will find it. This is an example of what anyone can get, for a small price. Unfortunately, it takes a little bit of extra work to get out of the Intelius database. But the good news is that once you've take the necessary steps, your privacy will be safe from strangers and whoever is looking for you.

Intelius supplies people search information for many other companies (sometimes affiliates and sometimes just Intelius doing business under a different name), such as:

1) 99lists.com
2) People Finder
3) People Record Finder
4) Phone Book
5) The Public Records

6) isearch

To remove yourself from the Intelius database, you'll need a copy of a government issued ID (e.g. driver's license without your picture) or a notarized form asking for your removal.Your driver license only needs to include your address and your date of birth.

Include either of these with your opt-out request form and then fax it to Intelius at (425) 974-6194.   Their complete policy can be found here. It is very important you follow their requirements to the letter, otherwise they have a complete opportunity to deny your request. We also suggest you send your request in the mail, with return reciept. Keep all your copies. Suggested to fax and mail your request.

Intellius - OPT-OUT

500 108th Ave. NE 25th Floor

Bellevue, WA

98004

* Note: this has been one of the most non-compliant companies of their own removal process. It has been four months, several letters, and two faxes, and we still have not had our information removed. It is getting to the point we will be faxing every day until we get a response, or all information removed. UPDATE: A faxing campaign of the OPTOUT request one time a day worked by day seven. Please post your results in our forum.

Abika.com, for $200.00 you can get this type of report on anyone, and a whole lot more, if this is not enough:

Psychological & Personality profiles can be deduced from data mining any publicly available information such as public records, behavior records, consumer activities, shopping habits, memberships in various organizations, clubs, court records, census data, demographic data, age, precise age group, property deeds, media, internet search, publicly available databases, blogs, wikis, newsgroups, social networking services, opinions expressed, forums, blogs, message boards, websites, press releases, electronic news services including other methods such as statistical comparisons with peer groups, polling and information submitted by searcher, friends, co-workers, relatives. Factors such as how people create various usernames, emails, IM Names, the way people write, the style and method of writing, the words they use, their pictures, videos, voice, biological features, physical features, body language, their comments etc also have relevance. This can also help understand and estimate behavior in different social situations. Personality Profiles can be compiled from what people do and not just what they say. Profiles can also consider publicly available Rumors, complaints, praises, awards and other information. Abikas' proprietary system deduces Personality profiles from any available information such as what is submitted by the searchers and any publicly available information on the internet and media. There is no necessity to take written or verbal tests and no necessity of lengthy question and answers as in the Myers-Briggs tests. Psychological and Personality profiles deduced from background information have the potential to surpass conventional testing methods as they consider more factors than what people say. The more information you provide and the more information available about a person the more comprehensive the psychological profile. Psychological profiling can help estimate behaviors, habits, personal traits and special talents.

*NOTE: Abika does not have an opt-out policy. Most of their paid searches rely on ussearch.com. However they claim to have a team of investigators which can scour the net for your information.

NOTE: SOME OF THESE COMPANIES LISTED BELOW DO NOT HAVE AN OPTOUT POLICY, WHICH MEANS IT WILL BE VERY HARD FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR INFORMATION REMOVED. CHECK WITH YOUR STATE & TERRITORY PRIVACY LAWS TO INVOKE YOUR RIGHTS.

MERLIN INFORMATION SERVICES

Merlin Information Services

Opt-Out Request

215 South Complex Drive

Kalispell MT 59901

PUBLIC RECORDS NOW

Opt-Out/PublicRecordsNow.com

ATTN: Privacy Act OPT-OUT

15332 Antioch St. #713

Los Angeles, CA

90272

AMERIDEX

Opt-Out Privacy Administrator

P.O.Box 51314

Irvine CA

92619

ACXIOM CORPORATION

Opt-Out Privacy

1 Information Way

Little Rock AR

72202

INFO USA & DONNELLEY MARKETING

InfoUSA / Donnelley Marketing

Opt-Out Request

1020 East 1st Street

Papillion NE

68046

LOCATEPLUS INC.

LocatePLUS, Inc.

ATTN: Privacy Act OPT-OUT

100 Cummings Center

Suite 235M

Beverly, MA

01915

WHITEPAGES.COM

WhitePages.com, Inc.

Attn: Privacy Committee Opt-Out Request

1301 Fifth Ave. Suite 1600

Seattle WA

98101

INFOSPACE

Infospace, Inc. C/O Idarc

Opt-Out Listing Removals

750 Canyon Drive

Coppell TX

75019

555-1212.COM

555-1212.com, Inc.

P.O. Box 3713

Truckee CA

96160

HAINES & COMPANY

Haines & Company, Inc. Criss Cross Directory

Attn: Director of Data Processing

8050 Freedom Ave. NW

North Canton OH

44720

EXPERIAN CONSUMER SERVICES

Experian Consumer Services

Opt-Out Request

901 West Bond Street

Lincoln NE

68521

TransUnion

Attn: List Division

P.O. Box 505

Woodlyn PA

19094

DMA Mail Preference Service

Opt-Out Request

P.O. Box 282

Carmel, NY

10512

ABACUS

Abacus

Opt-Out Request

P.O. Box 1478

Broomfield, CO.

80038

Equifax Direct Marketing Solutions

Consumer Response Center

26955 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 200

South Field, MI

48034

SUAREZ CORPORATION

Suarez Corporation

Stephen Hamrock: Director of Customer Service

7800 Whipple Ave. NW

North Canton, OH

44720

ANYWHO

Any Who Directory Service

Attn: Listing Removals

P.O. Box 1923

Morristown NJ,

07962

CHOICEPOINT

ChoicePoint, Inc

Office of Privacy Compliance

1000 Alderman Dr, Mail Drop 71-A

Alpharetta GA

30005

LEXIS-NEXIS

LexisNexis Opt Out

P.O. Box 933

Dayton, OH.

45401

PEOPLEFINDERS.COM

PeopleFinders.com

1821 Q Street

Sacramento, CA.

95814

PRIVATEEYE.COM

PrivateEye.com

Opt-Out/PrivateEye.com

15332 Antioch Street Suite 713

Los Angeles, CA.

90272

PUBLICBACKGROUNDCHECKS.COM

Opt-Out/Public Background Checks

305 5th Ave. South Suite 201

LaCrosse, WI.

54601 

WESTLAW

Westlaw

Attn: D5-S400 Name Removal Request

610 Opperman, Dr.

Eagan, MN.

55123

USA PEOPLE SEARCH

USA People Search

Opt-Out Request

P.O. Box 188860

Sacramento, CA.

95818

MELISSADATA.COM

Opt-Out/MelissaData.com

ATTN: Privacy Act OPT-OUT

1821 Q Street

Sacramento, CA

95814

TRANS WESTERN PUBLISHING

Trans Western Publishing Headquarters

Attn: Information Opt-Out

8322 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Ste #202

San Diego, CA.

92111-1317

Lycos, Inc.

Attn: Privacy Site Coordinator Opt-Out Request

100 5th Ave.

Waltham, MA

02451

Mail Preference Service

Attn: Mail Preference Service

P.O. Box 643

Carmel, NY.

10512

Facebook, one of the biggest social sites that allows people to post anything and everything about themselves. Sounds innocent? I dont think we could describe it any better than the following video explains.

If you can successfully remove your name from the above companies, this is a very good start. Most of the other identity warehouses rely on these databases to search for your information. Once you have removed yourself from these, confirm it by further searching for your name. Then start looking at these to see if your information still appears.

It is not over, ever. Once you have been successful in removing your name from the data mining companies, you have to check with them, searching their database once again to see if your information has again been added by their automated, aggregated searches. To make this process more manageable, companies like "Reputation Defender" do this search monthly for you offering you to remove your personal information either automatically or by simply printing out a letter which they provide to send to the companies for removal. This service costs approximately $4.95 a month.

If you are a lawenforcement officer, or government official, we suggest you take a look at Privacyforcops.org for removing your data from the internet.

Useful links:

List of companies that have an opt out policy.
List of companies that do not have an opt out policy.
Center for Democracy & Technologies.
Place a security freeze on your credit file.
Privacy Alerts