Data Removal Services Redux

Data Removal Services Redux, a reader asks…

Do you have data removal service you use / recommend? I read this Wirecutter article, “The Best Data Removal Service Can Help You Scrub Your Internet Presence” at https://share.google/snbiFvu5WwCL3g3OE.

Sorry, I don’t have a recommendation for you. I last wrote about this back in April (see my articles, “Data Removal Services” and “More Data Removal Services Info”), and I don’t think the situation has changed significantly. The only changes I see are a) more data removal service providers have jumped on the bandwagon to make money off their claims to remove your personal data from the internet, and b) the number of data brokers (both legitimate and non-legitimate) has continued to grow.

My three points from that article are still germane; here’s the short version:

1. The greatest risk of heinous use of your personal data is from the Dark Web,
2. These data removal services can only operate with legitimate data collection services (existing on the ‘Surface Web’ and a very limited access to the ‘Deep Web’), which generally use your data for marketing purposes, and
3. Dark Web operators use your personal data from both legitimate sources (#2 above) and from non-legitimate sources (#1) above to build a profile about you and then sell that to anyone (both #1 & #2 as well as criminals on the Dark Web).

The internet is often described using the iceberg metaphor. In my opinion, companies like DeleteMe, EasyOptOuts, etc., are only scratching the surface in helping you remove your personal data from the internet. They can’t and don’t operate on the Dark Web, which is where a) the most sensitive of your personal data resides, and b) the hackers, fraudsters, and scammers use to try to “take” you.

Furthermore, these companies have very minimal access to data on the Deep Web, which the businesses and governments around the world control. Hackers, scammers and fraudsters get information from all layers of the internet and build databases about you on the Dark Web for sale to any other hacker, scammer, or fraudster.

Once your personal data is on the Dark Web, you really have no way to remove it. There are hundreds (thousands now?) of data brokers who buy, sell, and trade the personal information that exists anywhere on the internet, and there’s no way to scrub everything, everywhere. And data that has value (yes, yours) continues to repopulate with data brokers even if it’s been scrubbed from some.

So, sure, you can use one of these services, and it will help reduce (perhaps only slightly) the legitimate use of your personal identity/data, but it will do nothing to stop the illegitimate use of it. By legitimate, I mean every organization in business that is trying to sell you something.

Your best bet to be and stay smart and informed about scam, fraud and hacking tactics and your effective defenses against those.

How do you do that? Watch the news and search for articles about scams, fraud, and hacks. Look for authoritative sources for your information, not just the latest commercial marketing campaigns or social media posts. Here’s a dozen non-US governmental sources I consider authoritative and that are a bit less technical for the non-IT-professional:

1. https://tryhackme.com/
2. https://www.hackthebox.com/
3. https://www.scamadviser.com/
4. https://www.getsafeonline.org/
5. https://www.snopes.com/
6. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-something-might-be-a-scam/
7. https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/the-latest-scams-you-need-to-aware-of/
8. https://www.sccu.com/articles/fraud-prevention/the-11-most-popular-fraud-scams
9. https://fraud.org/
10. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/
11. https://states.aarp.org/new-jersey/popular-scams-to-watch-for-in-2025
12. https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/these-are-the-most-popular-social-media-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them

In addition, you can look for US government information, though I’d stick to state and local levels, as I no longer fully trust federal sources.