So Much for Privacy!
Not Your Grandma's Phone Book, indeed.
http://www.spokeo.com/
I entered in my first and last name and the city where I live. It accurately gave my age, address, and other personal information including a photo of the building where I live. It showed that my mother lives with me, which is accurate, though it says my father does as well, which isn't. (And it says my mom is African American ... all these years, and she never knew!)
A girlfriend at LiveJournal posted the following public service announcement on her blog, and I'm pasting her instructions and commentary here (edited to take out the swearing):
If you're interested in getting yourself removed from public searches (notice I didn't say you can remove yourself entirely, and I expect people who give Spokeo money can still find you):
1) do a search for yourself,
2) capture the URL that results from your search (yes, you'll have to go all the way to YOUR entry, not just the Susan Smiths in Poughkeepsie),
3) click on their Privacy link in the very tiny pale print at the bottom of Spokeo's home page (or paste in http://www.spokeo.com/privacy ), and fill out the form there.
Use a sockpuppet email address too, while you're at it. No point in giving them yet MOAR information about you. It does have to be a real email address or you won't get the removal link they send you.
Internet creeps. Let's make it STOOPIDLY easy for your stalkers to find you, OK? YEAH. And hey, profile you by your income level so the thieves know which Susie Smith to target next time they want a little cash. Or, you know, when you testified against that rapist, he went to jail, and NOW HE'S OUT AND PISSED and knows how to use the internet.
http://www.spokeo.com/
I entered in my first and last name and the city where I live. It accurately gave my age, address, and other personal information including a photo of the building where I live. It showed that my mother lives with me, which is accurate, though it says my father does as well, which isn't. (And it says my mom is African American ... all these years, and she never knew!)
A girlfriend at LiveJournal posted the following public service announcement on her blog, and I'm pasting her instructions and commentary here (edited to take out the swearing):
If you're interested in getting yourself removed from public searches (notice I didn't say you can remove yourself entirely, and I expect people who give Spokeo money can still find you):
1) do a search for yourself,
2) capture the URL that results from your search (yes, you'll have to go all the way to YOUR entry, not just the Susan Smiths in Poughkeepsie),
3) click on their Privacy link in the very tiny pale print at the bottom of Spokeo's home page (or paste in http://www.spokeo.com/privacy ), and fill out the form there.
Use a sockpuppet email address too, while you're at it. No point in giving them yet MOAR information about you. It does have to be a real email address or you won't get the removal link they send you.
Internet creeps. Let's make it STOOPIDLY easy for your stalkers to find you, OK? YEAH. And hey, profile you by your income level so the thieves know which Susie Smith to target next time they want a little cash. Or, you know, when you testified against that rapist, he went to jail, and NOW HE'S OUT AND PISSED and knows how to use the internet.
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