Randi Martin, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Think of the Internet as the ocean, explains Data Doctor Ken Colburn.
“When Google searches for information, they just skim the surface, missing all that lurks underneath,” he says.
For online daters who are concerned about safety, Colburn describes three new search engines that get to the bottom of the “Internet ocean” and can reveal information about potential dates.
“Anybody that’s been alive for any length of time likely has done something that would result in being on the Internet — whether it’s a blog, a video, conversation, a forum, whatever — and new search engines are looking for it,” he says.
DirtSearch.org is an aggregator that finds public records and social media footprints based on a person’s first and last name and the state chosen for that search. The records include criminal, civil, probate and DUI information.
Pipl.com allows users to see activity generated by a person on the Internet, including social media use of blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Colburn says his favorite website is deeperweb.com, which aggregates pieces of information to help understand someone as a whole.
“It looks at all the various components that as standalone pieces probably don’t mean much, but when you put it together — all this disconnected information — you start to get a better picture of that person,” he says.
The websites give online daters the opportunity learn about a person before meeting him or her and possibly ending up in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation.
“If they’ve been on the Internet, as most of us have, one of these three tools is likely to help you get that information and help you determine if it’s someone you want to have a relationship with,” Colburn says.
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