ORLANDO, Fla. – A new study by Security.org, a team of product review specialists, found that 51 percent of 1,000 people surveyed had no idea data-delete products were available to consumers coast to coast.
The service has become a necessity for the internet-smartphone generation whose personal information has become instant collateral for data brokers who access and sell it no questions asked.
Corie Wagner, a senior industry analyst with Security.org told News 6 that consumers are handing over their information without realizing it.
“Most people don’t regularly read the privacy policies of these services and different social media platforms they’re signing up for,” Wagner said.
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According to IdentityGuard.com, “whenever you sign up for an online service, shop with a website, or create an account, you add to your online presence. "
The Security.org survey found a surprisingly low 6% have used data-removal services.
Wagner told News 6 some of the most commonly used services include Deleteme, Mozilla Monitor Plus and Reputation Defender by Norton .
YouMail, known for robocall blocking systems, has just entered the delete program arena.
CEO Alex Quilici is offering a free scan online that allows you to put in your name and age to determine how many “exposures” or personal information items data brokers are holding.
“You don’t want spam callers, you don’t want scam callers, you just want it all to go away,” Qullici said.
The free YouMail system tracks 102 data brokers. A scan of my name caught 621 “exposures” on 101 data broker sites.
YouMail offers various options to delete your data, including a premium system that provides a second phone number that keeps your main phone number clear of data pickers.
For more information on the delete options and to run a free privacy scan for your name, go to blog.youmail.com. For more information on the YouMail spam-blocking systems, visit YouMail.com.
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