Kristi King, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – It’s nearly impossible to keep some websites from compiling and sharing your personal information.
With a little work though, you can wipe most online information slates clean. UnlistMy.Info has compiled a list of data mining sites and how to get your name off them.
Some of the information that’s out there might be surprising. It includes much more than a phone number and street address.
For example, plug your name and where you live into Spokeo, and it lists what your house is worth, your religion, political affiliation, family members, personal interests and whether you’re divorced. It even shows a street-level Google picture of some people’s homes.
In some cases Spokeo and other sites list incorrect information for categories such as religion, or how many people live with you — but a lot of it is accurate, collected from social media and public records.
Getting your information off some sites is more difficult than getting it off of others.
To opt out of Ameridex — which is often used to search adoption records — you need to send the company written notification. And Ancestry.com requires an official government ID.
All you have to do is send an email to other sites, or click on a link for an individual site’s “Opt Out” page.
Clearing your personal information from all these online locations could be time consuming. So far, UnlistMy.Info details 44 websites willing to share your information with the world. And the list is growing.
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(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
