Discover has launched ‘Online Privacy Protection‘, a new free tool for bank and credit card customers. The service helps you remove your personal info from select people-search sites. The ten sites it works on are:
- BeenVerified.com
- Intellius.com
- Yellowpages.com
- Addresses.com
- PeopleLooker.com
- AnyWho.com
- InstantPeopleFinder.com
- PeopleSmart.com
- USsearch.com
- ZabaSearch.com
Once activated the service will automatically search these sites every 90 days. This feature will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
I, my P2 and P3 just got email alerts to activate the Discover Online Privacy service. We all only have banking accounts (not credit cards) and previously didn’t have this feature.
Once we logged in, we saw the invitation to activate on the account details page. Very cool
Wonder if this feature just expanded to include banking-only customers?
Besides the listed data brokers, also consider opting out (online) of marketing from Acxiom, LexisNexis, Datalogix, L2, Aristotle, Epsilon, Data Trust, Experian-Transunion-Equifax (optoutprescreen.com), DMAchoice, CoreLogix, and others. These are some of the firehoses that other people-lookup sites suck on. Then check every one of your card issuers and online accounts to make sure you have opted out of 3rd party marketing. (And don’t have for-profit social media accounts, obviously.)
Shut down the big names at the source and you’ll get a head start on the personal data removal, junk mail, political texts/calls, and petitions.
Also see if there are some options for limiting the driver/vehicle and voter registration records in your state/county, which are constantly being sold.
If you really want to go all in, check out this index: https://privacyrights.org/data-brokers
It will also cut down on robocalls/telemarketers.
You can also opt out at Direct Mail’s National Do Not Mail List, and at Valassis and SKUlocal (coupon pack mailings).
I was able to activate it in the app. My personal information is not on those 10 websites. However, The identity protection provided by experian finds 11 other websites showing my personal information (they do…)
update: I manually opted out of those website by asking them to delete my info
Curious if this feature is only for credit card customers? I only have banking accounts at the moment
This is being rolled out now. I have a sign-up guide on the site, but it is easy, just a couple of clicks.
Working now. I was able to activate it in the app.
“Currently, this service is being rolled out in increments to additional customers but not available to everyone at this time. Please check back on our mobile app later to enroll when the option becomes available.”
Updated the App but still, I can’t find a way to activate
I cant find it in the app or on desktop. Maybe its not rolled out.
They are often wrong because of their many sources.
I know because I’ve put deliberately false stuff on “secure” job sites, and once, a classmate site, just to see what shows up. No. I’ve never been to Hawaii. No, my roommate back then is NOT a relative and does not ‘own’ the apartment building.
I believe some of the sites are actually owned by Experian & others. “Powered by Experian”. The CRA provides information!
Also your landlord “associations” and the major employment agencies. whomever their “affiliates” are. Once my address information was published immediately after an extensive rental app for a co. that owned a dozen buildings. Google yourself to see what others see.
Don’t “Google” yourself… Use a *non-abusing* search engine.
I actually called… the people there seem to know virtually nothing about it, but the suggestion was it’s still being rolled out and may not be accessible to everyone yet, keep checking back periodically. Talk about a botched roll out.
One of them already checks the Dark Web for your personal information. To see if your SSN is being sold or shared.