44 - Data Brokers and People Search Websites Are Selling Your Data

44 - Data Brokers and People Search Websites Are Selling Your Data

The Watchman Privacy Podcast

Gabriel Custodiet talks to the creator of MyDataRemoval.com about people search websites and other data brokers. These are websites that collect, buy, and otherwise acquire the ample data that we expose on a daily basis: from social media posts to public housing records to mobile phone behavior. This episode covers all of the basics about these websites, including where they get their data, how they operate, and how to remove oneself from them. This is a definitive introduction to one of the biggest but least examined privacy dangers that we face today.


Guest Links
→ https://www.mydataremoval.com
→ https://www.mydataremoval.com/blog

 

Watchman Privacy
→ https://watchmanprivacy.com (newsletter, consultation requests)
→ https://twitter.com/watchmanprivacy
→ https://www.amazon.com/Watchman-Guide-Privacy-Financial-Lifestyle/dp/B08PX7KFS2

 

Bitcoin Privacy Course
→ https://rpf.gumroad.com/l/privatebitcoin

 

Monero Donation Address (If you can't see the whole string, double click in the middle to select all)
→8829DiYwJ344peEM7SzUspMtgUWKAjGJRHmu4Q6R8kEWMpafiXPPNBkeRBhNPK6sw27urqqMYTWWXZrsX6BLRrj7HiooPAy

 

Please subscribe to and rate this podcast wherever you can to help it thrive. Thank you!


Timeline

0:00 – Beginning
2:01 – Where do they get their data?
4:51 – How does website “scraping” work?
6:19 – The three types of data brokers
9:00 – How is all of this legal?
10:23 – Disturbing personal data on websites
13:02 – Dangers of having information on people search sites
17:50 – How many people search websites are there?
18:30 – What are their motivations?
20:13 – Are these sites primarily targeting Americans?
20:48 – Getting off of call lists and mailing lists
21:48 – Other insight into data brokers
23:48 – How can we prevent future data exposure?
25:42 – Particularly offensive companies
26:12 – Solutions for VPN blocks
26:57 – Should we opt out ourselves?
31:36 – Details of MyDataRemoval.com
33:50 – Pricing and plans
36:52 – What information does MyDataRemoval ask for?
39:20 – Do people search websites truly opt you out?
41:20 – How does MyDataRemoval protect customer data?
43:03 – Background of the founder
44:49 – James’ cybersecurity and privacy advice

Activity

Switch to the Fountain App