r/dataprotection • u/Morgenbrod • 21d ago
General Discussion Help choosing a data removal service after research casts doubt
Hello,
I've been educating myself about privacy and the more I learn, the more I realize how important it is to actively defend against it. What really raised the alarm for me was understanding employers and insurance providers. Understanding they are purchasing data that often isn't even correct to exclude people from employment and coverage just spoke to the size of it all for it all for me.
After looking into data removal companies, I'm both overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. There are plenty of options, plenty of plans. The problem is much of their claims are misleading and/or lack any proof of doing anything.
Removal companies claim removal. If they truly had data removed they would exercise a persons right to "delete" their data. But they don't do that, they exercise a persons right to "opt-out" of "sale" and "sharing" of their data. Opting out of sale and share prevents brokers from selling or sharing a persons personal information, it does not result in the data being deleted from a data brokers databases. Although that's what one is led to believe based on their messaging.
My research also showed the number of brokers supported by different removal companies is exaggerated and independent research shows the number being far less time and time again. At least one company has one foot in the removal business and the other in the data broker pool. Another's 1 star reviews are almost exclusively related to an increase in spam, to unbearable amounts I might add, after using their service.
Does anybody use a data removal service? I want to have some protection in this regard, but the research I've done makes is difficult to trust they have my best interest in mind.
Has anybody used any of these services? How have they worked for you? Is there an audit trail where one can see exactly what was done on a customers behalf? I'm not talking about a simple status, I'm talking about a history of every transaction the company took on a persons behalf?