Think you can delete your data yourself? Here’s why you’re probably wrong

None of us signed up for our personal info to be bought and sold online. Between data brokers, people-search sites and all the other places our details end up, it happens constantly and usually without us even realizing it. 

If you’ve ever Googled yourself and found your phone number or home address floating around on some shady-looking website, you know the feeling.

If that’s you, you probably started looking for ways to remedy the situation and may be wondering if it’s better to remove your personal information from the web yourself or use a data removal service. I’ve tried both, and here’s what I’ve learned.

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When the data broker problem first got on my radar (granted, it was because data removal services started to emerge), I figured I could just opt out on my own. After all, most of them have opt-out pages with a process. Whitepages, one of the most popular people-search sites, for example, has the following process.

This is just one example, but other search sites have similar opt-out processes, give or take a few steps.

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If you want to remove your information from all (or most) of the data brokers that have it, here’s what you’ll have to do.

It’s definitely doable, but not painless. Some sites make it easier, but others require you to upload your ID (not recommended), ask you to send snail mail or outright reject your request unless you use a specific email domain, not to mention all the CAPTCHAs that feel like they were designed to break your spirit.

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I’ve since tried using a data removal service that automates the opt-out process, handling the complexities on your behalf. See below for what this gives you.

I didn’t have to babysit the process, and I didn’t have to guess whether it was working. I just got updates when the removals were confirmed.

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If you’re still weighing your options, here’s how the two approaches stack up.

Manual opt-outs demand a significant time investment, requiring you to personally navigate each data broker’s unique removal process. While free, this approach offers variable coverage depending on how diligently you track down brokers, and consistency is challenging; you’ll need to repeat the process regularly to keep your data private. Success also depends heavily on your ability to decipher vague opt-out instructions and adapt to each broker’s requirements.

In contrast, data removal services save time by handling the legwork for you. They provide broad coverage by targeting numerous brokers simultaneously and maintain consistency through ongoing monitoring. While these services come with subscription fees, they eliminate the need for personal expertise, offering a hands-off solution to data privacy.

After testing both manual opt-outs and automated services, using a personal data removal service emerges as the clear solution for reclaiming your data. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

If you’ve got the time and patience, you can absolutely take the DIY route. But if you’re looking for a way to protect your privacy without sinking hours into research, filling out forms and monitoring, a data removal service makes things a lot quicker and more convenient. For most people, this is likely the better option. Many states have privacy laws that give you the right to request that data brokers remove your personal information, but the system seems to be rigged to make exercising those rights unreasonably difficult. While it shouldn’t be necessary, data removal services offer a way to cheat that system.

Do you think stronger protections are needed to shield you from the challenges and risks posed by data brokers and their handling of your personal information? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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