Where do we stand with online privacy today? Expert opinions differ as to the exact extent of the problem. One thing is clear though: our fundamental right to privacy is universally violated today.
The information age we live in is both wonderful and frightening in equal measure. It has extended our possibilities, made things more convenient and changed the way we work, shop, communicate, travel, and even find love. On the flip side, our instant access to unlimited data and online resources has resulted in the lack of privacy for all. Government and business have turned personal data collection into a billion-dollar industry you can’t get away from. A recent study by Pew Research Center shows a growing concern among Americans about their information exposure. The majority of respondents worry about their data security and are not confident that the personal information collected from them will not be compromised, published online without their consent, sold to third parties, or otherwise misused.
And rightly so. Here are just a few major problems that personal information exposed on the web can lead to:
- Increased marketing and other spam.
- Higher risk to suffer financial loss and fall victim to a fraud due to account takeover, synthetic identities, medical scam, identity theft, and other cybercrimes.
- Elevated real-life threats to be tracked online, doxed, harassed, stalked, or swatted.
- Bigger danger to harm reputation and, consequently, career.
Can you do anything to eliminate these threats and restore your privacy?
Our customers are positive you can. Many of them are concerned about having their personal information exposed. They worry about the consequences of such exposure. They choose OneRep because they know it’s effective and gives them peace of mind. Danny K., a OneRep customer from Los Angeles, CA wrote to us to share his story.
Danny’s story
Out of curiosity one day, I googled myself and was shocked by the results. Things like name, relatives, addresses, phone numbers, DOB, VIN, and more all on the first page! It only took 5 seconds to find all my personal info. I didn’t like how easy it was to find. It made me uneasy knowing that if someone was trying to cause any harm, all my critical details would be at their fingertips with a quick internet search.
“Out of curiosity one day, I googled myself and was shocked by the results.”
What I learned was there are many companies that aggregate data from public records and publish it online. You can get it removed but each one requires a different process and some are very difficult. Going through and requesting removal one by one from hundreds of sites seemed like an overwhelming task.
I did some research and found a few sites that offer automatic removal. At first, I was skeptical. In researching OneRep, I saw that the number of sites they remove from was better than the rest. I started with basic monthly service for myself, and after being pleased with the results, I upgraded to an annual plan for the family.
I have more peace of mind now that OneRep has removed almost all my information from these websites. I no longer have to worry about someone easily finding things like my address or vehicle. It feels good knowing my online presence has been minimized. It’s better to be proactive instead of reactive, especially when it comes to privacy and protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Your Online Privacy is Your Right, not a Privilege
Sensitive information exposure and privacy violations happen to millions of people. However, that doesn’t mean you should put up with it and forget about safeguarding your privacy. OneRep can help to protect you. We’re here to remove your private information from people-search sites.
Digital Marketer & Privacy Expert at OneRep | LinkedIn