What is a Data Privacy Service?

Data privacy is a growing focus for many consumers, with four in five expressing a concern for the protection of their personal information on the internet. Many states have passed legislation to meet those demands. Today, 20 states have consumer data privacy laws regulating how companies approach data collection and sharing, and granting consumers stronger rights over information use. 

However, many of those laws still fall short of protecting consumers. Individuals often still spend considerable time looking for where their personal information appears online in order to opt out, or alternatively looking for a data privacy service to do that work for them. 

Here’s what consumers need to know about how privacy services can help them take control of their data. 

Data privacy services are necessary

First, why should anyone consider utilizing a privacy tool or service? Many people may feel they are perfectly able to protect themselves online without the help of any external services. The trouble is, there are plenty of companies that are quick to take your personally identifiable information (PII) and publish it freely on the internet. These companies are called data brokers, and it can take a lot of work from consumers to try to protect their data from these companies. 

Data brokers are largely responsible for the surge in email and text scams, spam messages, and frustrating robocalls that many people experience. This is because data brokers allow advertisers and malicious actors to purchase information indiscriminately, including phone numbers, email addresses, location data, internet activity, and much more. 

Recently, data brokers have come under a lot of scrutiny due to massive breaches to their systems that have exposed personal information to fraudsters. Fortunately, this increased scrutiny has led to a growing number of services focused on protecting consumer privacy and PII. 

Three types of data privacy services

Let’s take a look at some of the protective services that data privacy services offer. While some services offer identity theft alerts, identity theft insurance, and credit monitoring, these don’t directly prevent personal data from being collected or exposed, so they fall outside the scope of this article. Instead, most effective privacy services fall into three main categories: information auditing, blanket opt-out services, and comprehensive data removal.

1. Information auditing services

These tools scan your personal records to find where your data is registered or where you’ve signed up for, for example, a subscription service. They then provide you with a list of companies that hold your information and sometimes automate the opt-out process, or they may require you to self-service opt out instead. In other words, many of these tools are focused on helping consumers help themselves rather than actively removing data, and that isn’t always made clear to consumers at the outset. For example, if you have signed up for a newsletter service, these tools can help you see how to prevent that service from sharing your email with other companies, but they don’t always directly opt consumers out of sharing. Examples include Consumer Reports’ “Permission Slip” app and Tall Poppy’s auditing tool. 

2. Blind opt-out services

Blind opt-out services use a “one-size-fits-all” approach by sending blanket data removal requests to a wide range of data brokers, often without verifying if the consumer’s data is present on those sites. This method can result in false positives where the service sends opt-out requests for information that does not belong to the user. 

Additionally, these services may expose personal data unnecessarily, sending unsecured emails with sensitive information to data brokers who may not have had the data in the first place. In some cases, blind opt-outs can create the illusion of action while doing little to effectively remove personal data. 

3. Data removal services

Genuine data removal services, like DeleteMe, take a more rigorous approach to privacy by focusing on accurate, targeted opt-out requests. These services verify the presence of a customer’s data on relevant data broker websites before submitting removal requests, reducing the risk of false positives and unnecessary data exposure. 

Additionally, data removal services prioritize secure communication and employ manual processes when necessary to ensure that the data holders complete the opt-out requests properly. The focus is on reducing the discoverability of personal data from major data brokers and offering a more reliable and secure option for users looking to protect their privacy​.

It’s important to note here that some apparent data removal services are white label services, meaning while they may come under the name of a seemingly reputable company, they are being outsourced to third party providers that might be cutting corners or using blind opt-outs. This means that users of white-label services may also unknowingly be entrusting their sensitive data to companies that lack transparency and sufficient security measures. Always research data removal services thoroughly before signing on. 

Ultimately, until new laws prevent data brokers from collecting and selling your information in the first place, opting out is your best defense against having your PII exposed without your permission. Companies like DeleteMe can help you do so safely and efficiently. 

The future of data privacy

Again, legislation varies from state to state and is constantly changing. And depending on which state you live in, data brokers may or may not have to actually honor opt-out requests. Still, the outlook for data privacy services is improving by the day as more states adopt comprehensive consumer privacy laws, and the possibility of a national consumer privacy law looms large. Make sure you know your rights and find the right data removal service so you can protect your privacy and keep yourself safe online.