We conduct large parts of our lives online these days, which means that there is a large amount of personal information entrusted to a number of different companies. You probably already use Apple’s privacy tools Program Tracking Transparency, Hide my emailand iCloud Personal Relaybut none of this helps with information that is already publicly available on the internet.
Even seemingly innocuous things like our hobbies and interests can be valuable information to those who want to sell us things or, worse, trick us.
The problem of data brokers
Personal data does not exist only in isolation. Data brokers are companies that make a business out of trying to get as much information as possible about every person they find on the Internet, collect it to provide a detailed picture of our lives, and then offer it for sale.
That information is obtained by companies that want to send you spam. This gives them a solid idea of your interests and therefore the type of products you can buy, as well as things like brand preferences. This type of information is the cause of the increase in spam phone calls.
In the worst cases, the data can be used by fraudsters who can use information like who you bank with, where you shop, and more to impersonate companies you trust.
Deletion of personal data
You have a legal right to have most of your personal information removed from the internet. Unfortunately, there is a huge gap between theory and practice. First of all, you should keep track of all your personal information that is currently available online for you and your family members. Next, you need to identify the companies that collect and sell this data. Finally, you must file removal requests in the correct format.
Data brokers deliberately make this process as complicated and difficult as possible. They hide the links you need to use, give you complicated forms to fill out, and generally do their best to discourage you from protecting your information.
Jumping through all these hoops is not enough, because data brokers are free to collect new information about you in the future. The only way to fully protect yourself is to go through this process over and over again on a regular basis.
Incogni does everything for you
Fortunately, there is an easier way. with hidden, you can delete your data from hundreds of brokers with just a few clicks.
With a single subscription, all time-consuming and repetitive processes are done automatically. The company engages hundreds of data brokers on behalf of you and your family members to take your personal data offline. Importantly, Secret doesn’t just do this once, it repeats the process regularly to ensure your data is removed from these databases.
The result is that you will receive less spam, junk mail and robocalls. Plus, you and your family will be better off protects against potential identity theft and fraud.
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