How do data removal services actually remove your data?


While searching for A Data removal serviceYou may encounter two different types of removals: automatic and ad hoc. Both can help you remove yourself from data brokers and people search sites, but you can benefit more from one over the other.

according to OneRepThere are thousands of data brokers and people search sites, and many data removal services advertise that they remove your data from hundreds of these sources. OneRep He also said some of the largest data brokers are Experian, Equifax, Epsilon, Acxiom and CoreLogic, and many data removal services cover at least one of them automatically. If you want to remove your data from specific places, you’ll need custom removal processes.

Here’s how automatic and personalized removals differ, and which one might be right for you.

What are automatic removals?

Cartoon woman deleting files on a computer.

Automatic removals are standard across data removal services.

Rodjan Naglev via Getty Images

Automated data removals are often the basic level option for data removal services. Every company I’ve seen offers automatic removals by default. Some data removal services, e.g auraperform automatic removals only.

Through automatic removals, the service will search for the information you provided – such as your name, address and date of birth – across various intermediaries and people search sites. If the Service finds your information on one of those sites, it will submit a request to remove your data. You may receive a report indicating that your data was found and a request to remove it.

Custom takedowns, on the other hand, are different and require some legal action on your part, but they can cover more data brokers and people search sites.

What are custom removals?

Cartoon people on their laptops and smartphones standing and sitting around a trash can.

Custom removals can give you more coverage if you do the work.

Nadezhda Buravleva via Getty Images

Remember how I said earlier that there are thousands of data brokers and people search sites, but some data removal services only cover a few hundred of them? Custom removals can fill this gap.

With custom removals, if you find your information on a data broker or people search site that isn’t covered by your data removal service, you can send a link to your service where you found your information. Your service then reviews the link and information for eligibility, and may attempt to remove your information.

Although automatic removals are standard in data removal services, not every data removal service offers custom removals.

Some services offer both types of removals… for a price

Two cartoon people looking at digital screens.

You can find some services that offer automatic and customized removals.

VectorHot via Getty Images

There are some data removal services that offer automatic and customized removals, but the services that do may charge slightly higher fees for them. Anonymous It sticks with automatic removals in its Standard and Family plans, but offers automatic and custom removals as part of its Unlimited and Unlimited Family tiers.

With both types of removals, you will likely be able to remove your information from more data brokers and people search sites. For example, Optire The top-tier plan, Ultimate, includes automatic removals for over 635 sites and custom removals for over 1,120 sites. So this plan can cover around 1755 locations if you want to send custom requests.

An easy way to think about automated and personalized takedowns is with pizza. Automatic removals are like cheese pizza. It is standard throughout the industry. Custom takedowns are like pizza you can make yourself. It’s a little more expensive, and you have to do a little more work to create your own pizza, but if you want to remove your data from a larger pool of data brokers and people search sites, this could give you more coverage – if you’re willing to do the work.

Which is better: automatic or custom removals?

Cartoon person sitting in front of a large laptop. There is a trash can icon on the large laptop screen.

Automated and customized removals can be useful in removing your information from data brokers and people search sites.

BRO Vector via Getty Images

It depends on your needs. Automatic takedowns make it easy to set and forget. You don’t have to do any extra work, and these removals are standard, so you don’t have to go out of your way to find a data removal service that provides them. If you just want a data removal service to handle everything for you without your input, automatic removals should be fine.

Custom removals require more effort on your part because you are responsible for finding the information and submitting it to the service. These removals are usually part of more expensive plans — which typically include automatic removals — but offer more potential coverage. If you will be searching for your information on data brokers and people search sites, as well as a data removal service that sends automated removal requests, custom removals may be useful.

For more information about data removal services, here’s a guide to see if you They should or should not be paid and What you should know Before you sign up with them.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *