I Googled myself and started asking for deletions
I Googled myself, opened a site that listed my information, and looked for the link that would let me take it down. I found the link, wrote to ask them to remove the listing, and came back later to see whether they had. Then I opened the next site.
Finding the listings was the quick part. The work started after the search. Every site had its own way of asking for a removal, and once I sent the request, I still had to remember which page to check again.
How the copies get there
Match Group, the company behind Tinder, said attackers used social engineering in January to get into some of its internal tools and access a limited amount of user data. Around the same time, Ledger customers learned that the company’s commerce partner, Global-e, had suffered a breach that exposed names and contact details tied to some Ledger.com orders. If someone knows both how to reach you and what you bought, they already have the opening line for a convincing message. Match Group’s annual filing · Ledger’s statement to BleepingComputer
Then there are the devices themselves. This October, Apple extended a fix to older iPhones for a CoreGraphics flaw that could let an attacker run code through a malicious file. Apple said it had received a report of possible exploitation against specific individuals on versions before iOS 27. If you have an iPhone, open Settings → General → Software Update and install the latest update offered for your device. Apple’s security advisory · Apple’s update instructions
A people-search site can put together a profile from public records, public social media profiles and information bought from other brokers. Your address or phone number can end up on a site you’ve never used. The Electronic Privacy Information Center describes a U.S. industry with thousands of data brokers. California’s deletion platform alone covers more than 650 registered brokers. The FTC also points out that information can reappear after an opt-out when public records change. EPIC’s testimony on data brokers · CalPrivacy’s DROP FAQ · FTC guide to people-search sites
AI makes those scattered details more useful. It takes less work to sift through them and write a message that sounds like it was meant for you. The FBI has documented scammers using AI to tailor phishing messages and clone voices. I expect more of what’s already out there about us to find its way into messages and calls that sound plausible because they contain something true. FBI advisory on AI-enabled fraud
Why we built BetterPrivacy.me
I like having a public website. I put my work here because I want people to find it. I want the same say over who can find my phone number or where I live. That’s what privacy means to me in practice.
So we built BetterPrivacy.me to make that work easier. It looks for listings and prepares removal requests for you to send. You can track the requests and see which listings you’ve had taken down. A removal request applies to a particular source. Copies can survive elsewhere, and listings can come back.
I already have enough monthly charges to keep track of. The full report costs €29 once, including the removal requests and tracking. There’s no subscription to cancel. BetterPrivacy.me