For many people, this is a harrowing experiment. You see how much of your personal data is on the Internet, including sensitive information like your address and phone numbers.
Unfortunately, sharing information is easy these days, and many people don’t realise just how exposed they are to scammers and hackers online. Anybody can find detailed information about them and then use it against them in phishing attempts or when trying to steal credit card information.
Reporters regularly now search for publicly accessible information on volunteers to see what they can find. Often they discover all sorts of things like:
- home addresses
- relatives
- past employers
- property records
- even their mother’s maiden name (which is often used for account reset questions)
Unfortunately, most people underestimate how much information about them is available online. Protect My Data, which offers services that help remove personal information from data brokers, said the following:
“Personal data is scattered across thousands of websites, databases, public records, and platforms, and many people are unable to keep track of it. Unfortunately, this information can be mined automatically by nefarious actors and even advertising companies, and then used against the owner, to the detriment of the owner of that information.”
How much data is out there?
The amount of data out there is truly enormous, according to industry reports and filings. Reporters looking into this issue regularly find:
- Volunteers’ aliases and usernames
- Current and former addresses
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Family members and associates
- Property ownership records
They can also find:
- Business and court filings
- Social media activity
- Consumer profiles
Unfortunately, modern AI systems are making it easier to connect the dots and allowing nefarious actors to build a full profile of an individual before phishing attempts. A single individual can be linked across dozens or hundreds of databases, even if the only input is a name or a particular city. Experts have tried to map out all of these data sources and show where information is coming from, but new ones are being added all the time, which is why it’s so important to keep information contained.
Commercial data collection is one of the leading causes of users’ information being displayed online. For example, they may be part of retail loyalty programmes or linked to mobile apps. Advertising networks can sometimes also store user information. This allows them to better target adverts, but it also puts users at risk of profiling.
Recently, the spread of data brokers has been in the news. These are companies that aggregate all user information from many sources and compile it into a single consumer or individual profile. This information can then be bought or sold at will by others, allowing virtually anybody to obtain personal records of specific people. This means that it’s very easy to build a profile on somebody that could be eventually used against them.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to protect people’s data,” explains Protect My Data. “Because of this, we use legal protections in many countries to demand that data brokers delete the consumer profiles they built on individuals they’re tracking. Instead of people trying to communicate directly with data brokers, which can be challenging, we do it on their behalf, eliminating records over time.”
Of course, individuals can reduce their use of social media to cut down on the amount of information that’s available about them online, but that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll remain anonymous. Data brokers are clever and can collect data from multiple sources, including trusted websites.
What do data brokers do?
Data brokers are essentially companies or individuals that buy and sell personal information. They’re extremely valuable to marketers and advertisers who want to learn more about customer bases, but they can also be used for identity verification and risk assessment.
Unfortunately, hundreds of data broker companies work in the space, so tracking the information that all of them have is difficult. Many individuals simply don’t have time to request that all data brokers delete their records. Consumers often have little awareness of how their online internet profiles are built.
Privacy advocates like Protect My Data say that this is a substantial risk. While some members of the industry respond that data brokers are for legitimate industry purposes, there is nothing stopping them from passing on private information to bad actors.
The risks of a data-rich world
The risks of living in a data-rich world like this are significant. Obviously, there are privacy concerns for many internet users because of their persistent digital footprints. There are also security risks, including:
- Identity theft
- Social engineering attacks are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated, especially as hackers add new data to their workflows
There are also personal safety issues. It’s very easy to stalk or dox individuals, or perhaps even harass them. Reputational damage is also common. Old information can resurface, and people can be misidentified. They can also be implicated in activities where other elements of context are missing.
How to remove yourself from the internet
The good news, according to Protect My Data, is that it’s possible for many people to remove themselves from the internet. They can opt out of data brokers and review their privacy settings on their social media accounts. It’s generally a good idea to remove unused accounts and limit public social media information.
Posting a lot of content online might be popular among celebrities, but it’s not advice for the average person who’s just trying to climb the career ladder or engage in healthy relationships.
Individuals shouldn’t assume that once they’ve deleted content, that it disappears forever. Sometimes social media platforms can hold on to information.
“Fortunately, a reduction in the total amount of information is achievable,” according to Protect My Data. “We believe that everybody should have the opportunity to anonymize themselves online and prevent their personal information from being used against them. Nobody should profit from data collection unless given express permission by the person creating it.”
Featured image via Unsplash – CC0 License
