In this DeleteMe review, we dive into how our service operates, its availability, and its overall value in protecting your digital privacy.
What Is DeleteMe?
DeleteMe is a subscription-based data broker removal service.
We look for your personal information on data brokers and people search sites and send opt-out requests to the sites that have data about you.
Through your DeleteMe dashboard, you can see the total number of personal items we found about you on these sites, how many data brokers have your personal information, how many records we removed, and how much time this saved you. We also send you email reports.
We repeat this process continuously (every three months) to ensure that your information does not reappear on these databases. We repeat this process because data brokers are known for relisting people’s details as soon as they acquire more information about you.
Why Use DeleteMe?
By opting out of data brokers, you can reduce your digital footprint and minimize your risk of falling victim to fraud, identity theft, and other crimes.
If you don’t want data brokers to sell your private information - like your home address, phone number, and family details - to third parties for as little as $0.99 (or even, in some cases, for free), that’s what the DeleteMe service is for.
Data brokers are companies that look for your personal information (on sources like public records and social media sites), compile it into detailed profiles, and then sell these to pretty much anyone who wants them - other people, advertisers, law enforcement agencies, landlords, recruiters, other data brokers, etc.
Here’s what a typical data broker report looks like:
Having your personal information available on people search sites and data brokers does not only jeopardize your privacy but can also lead to:
- Lost opportunities. You could be denied a job or mortgage based on inaccurate or outdated information from data brokers.
- Doxxing. Easily accessible personal details such as your name, address, phone number, email, or driver’s license can lead to someone who wants to harm you posting your information publicly, which can lead to further threats like harassment, stalking, and swatting. Read more about doxxing in our doxxing guide.
- Identity theft. Profiles created by data brokers often contain enough personal information that could be exploited by criminals to steal your identity.
- Tax identity theft. Criminals can use personal information obtained from data brokers to file fraudulent tax returns in your name.
- Financial fraud. Data broker information combined with data from data breaches (credit card numbers, etc.) can result in you falling victim to financial fraud.
- Unauthorized account access. Information like family names, often used in passwords, can be obtained from data brokers, leading to an increased risk of account takeover attacks.
- Stalking. For victims of stalking, especially in cases of domestic violence, easily available personal data can be a safety hazard.
- Government spying. Data brokers may unintentionally aid government agencies in surveillance activities by providing detailed personal information on individuals.
- Political micro-targeting. Personal data sold by brokers enables politically motivated entities to target individuals with specific, often manipulative, messaging.
- Phishing. The depth of personal data available through data brokers can lead to more convincing and targeted phishing attacks.
- General spying. Your personal life details can be easily looked up by anyone, from a nosy neighbor to a potential date.
You can learn more about data brokers in our comprehensive data broker guide. Long story short: the fewer data brokers have information about you, the better off you’ll be. That’s something that DeleteMe is uniquely placed to help you with.
DeleteMe Review
From background to availability and pricing, here’s everything you need to know about how the DeleteMe service works.
Background
DeleteMe was founded in 2010 by Rob Shavell and was among the first data removal services to exist.
Today, DeleteMe is one of the most prominent and trusted names in the privacy service industry.
Availability
DeleteMe is available to customers in all 50 US states and internationally.
DeleteMe International is accessible to customers in the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Data broker removal service
DeleteMe finds the data broker and people search sites that have your personal information and requests removal from them.
Many online privacy services rely on automation only. Our approach combines automation with human privacy advisors, which means that our data removals are more thorough. Rather than sending blanket data removal requests to brokers, we identify and target specific sites that display your personal information, actively working to ensure its removal.
Every customer can also reach out to our experts for privacy-related questions and custom removal requests.
Unlike some providers that offer additional privacy tools, like password managers and virtual private networks (VPNs), DeleteMe’s sole focus is data broker removals. Opting you out of data brokers and making sure you stay off their databases is what we excel at. These brokers are often responsible for publicly exposing personal details on search engines like Google, which can result in targeted scams and identity theft.
With a team of privacy specialists always ready to assist with data privacy concerns, DeleteMe is one of the best data broker removal services on the market.
Tip: You can use the DeleteMe free scan feature to see what personal info is already out there on data broker sites.
Sites removed
DeleteMe can remove your personal data from at least 56 major data broker websites.
You may find alternatives that cover a larger number of data brokers, but more is not always better. We prioritize people search sites and data brokers that appear near the top of Google search results. These sites are where most criminals and other bad actors start when looking to find exploitable information about you.
However, you can also make custom requests to have your data deleted from an additional 750+ sites.
We keep a regularly updated list of data broker sites from which we remove personal info.
Information covered
Every DeleteMe data removal covers a range of sensitive personal details, including your full name, age, current and former addresses, date of birth, contact numbers, email addresses, photographs, job titles, marital status, family members, etc.
What sets DeleteMe apart is its flexibility in managing aliases. You can submit as many aliases/previous names as you want, as well as any number of addresses and emails.
Removal process
DeleteMe’s privacy experts use our in-house technology to find data brokers and people search sites that have your personal information and send them opt-out requests on your behalf.
Here’s a breakdown of how DeleteMe works:
- On the DeleteMe website (joindeleteme.com), you sign up for a DeleteMe account and choose your DeleteMe subscription.
- You fill out a data sheet, sharing your personal information, like your name and address, with us so that we can track down the brokers that have your data and start deleting it.
- DeleteMe starts scanning data brokers and people search sites, like Whitepages and Spokeo, for your personal information.
- When DeleteMe finds your personal data, it sends opt-out requests on your behalf to the respective data brokers.
- DeleteMe sends you a detailed report within a week (7 days) of signing up, showing you where your data was found, what kind of data specifically, and the opt-out actions taken.
- Every quarter (3 months), DeleteMe repeats the scanning and opt-out process to ensure that your data stays off these sites.
- You can make custom requests to the DeleteMe team.
Scan frequency and turnaround time
DeleteMe scans data broker sites for your personal details as soon as you join their service. Within the first week, we send you a comprehensive report outlining where your data has been spotted and the steps we’ve taken to remove it.
This information is also accessible from your DeleteMe dashboard.
Because data brokers are known to relist information when they collect more of it, DeleteMe conducts these scans and processes required opt-outs every quarter (3 months).
You can also submit custom removal requests to DeleteMe’s privacy experts through your dashboard. Our experts will investigate the site you submitted to see if they can remove you from it or provide you with instructions on how you can do so yourself.
How Does DeleteMe Work?
Submit Info
Submit personal information for removal from search engines.
Experts Search For It
DeleteMe experts find and remove your personal information.
Removal Process Starts
Receive a detailed DeleteMe report in 7 days. Here’s an example.
Scans & Deletions All Year
We remove your personal information every 3 months.
Track record
Since its inception in 2010, DeleteMe has firmly established itself as a leader in data broker removals. DeleteMe has successfully completed over 100 million data removals from various data broker websites.
Today, DeleteMe has a 4.64/5 rating on SiteJabber, a 4.4/5 rating on Trustpilot, and an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau.
You can also check out verified customer reviews in publications like PC Magazine, where we have been rated “Excellent.”
Pricing
DeleteMe offers a variety of pricing plans to meet different privacy needs. This makes it possible for everyone, from individuals to families and businesses, to find a suitable option.
You can add as many people as you want to any DeleteMe plan for an extra fee.
The available plans include:
- 1-person plan – $129 annually/$209 every two years.
- 2-people plan – $229 annually/$349 every two years.
- Family plan (up to 4 people) – $329 annually/$499 every two years. *Note: You can add more people to this and all other DeleteMe plans for a small extra fee.
- Business plan – custom (contact customer support).
While some competitors might offer lower prices, these services are typically automated. DeleteMe sets itself apart by combining technology with human experts.
This human element ensures greater accuracy and personalized attention, representing a significant value advantage for customers looking for reliable and effective online data management.
Cancellation policy
DeleteMe makes canceling your subscription easy. You can cancel your plan through your DeleteMe dashboard or by contacting the customer support team through email, phone, or live chat.
DeleteMe prioritizes customer satisfaction and offers a full, no-questions-asked refund for cancellations made before the completion of the first report.
If you want to cancel your service after the first report has been issued, a pro-rated refund is provided, ensuring fairness and flexibility in line with the used portion of the service.
Customer Service
You can reach DeleteMe customer support agents by email 24/7 or via live chat or phone from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
The DeleteMe FAQs have quick answers to common questions, too.
Remove Yourself from Data Brokers with DeleteMe
In a world where your personal information is constantly at risk of being commoditized by data brokers, protecting your privacy is more crucial than ever. DeleteMe is a clear choice because of its flexible pricing, custom removal request features, and exceptional customer service.
DeleteMe offers a pragmatic solution to the pervasive issue of personal data circulating among data brokers.
While no service can guarantee absolute privacy in the digital age, DeleteMe's diligence, transparency, and expertise make it a trustworthy ally in safeguarding your personal information.
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