People Search Privacy – Control Your Data Online

While you are searching for someone else online, you should keep the thought in your mind that someone else might be searching for you. There are some who won’t care much about this, and welcome anyone who might want to reach them. However, there are times when you want your life to remain private, and you don’t want those from your past to find you. When it comes to your information online, you are not always in control, but there are some things you can do to be sure your privacy is yours if that is what you want.

It can be hard to control information others post online, but there are some things you can do on your own. You should always be aware of where you are using your real name, and if that name would then be searchable. Some sites, like MySpace, ask for your full name when you sign up, but you won’t see it on your profile page. That may make you feel safe. What you might not realize is that your name will be searchable, and will take people to your page. If this bothers you, alter your name when signing up, and keep your profile private.

There are times when you may not have a choice about where you name appears online, and that is probably due to your career. Many writers have their work online, and that means they are easy to find. Some have their names included in medical research papers, or may be listed with a school if they are a teacher or work at a school in any capacity. This means you may have to do damage control rather than trying to get rid of your name when it appears online. Have separate email account for those things, and use web-based emails so you can protect your location, even when you can’t get rid of your name.

Many sites that are considered informational (and also Web 2.0) have options of which you may not be aware. Some have an option that allows you to opt out so that your name does not appear in their directory in any way. You can also do this with some online phone listings, and other places where your name may come up. This could take you a while, but if you really wish to keep your life and name private, you will find it well worth your time.

It might be impossible to find each and every site that might have your name on it, so you should start out with a search. Put your name in search engines, and then go to sites where you find a listing about yourself and opt out if you can. If you don’t see an option for this, and you are sure the listing is about you, email the site and ask them to remove your name and any other mention of you on the site. You do have a right to privacy, and many sites will respect your wishes and remove you from their databases.

Resources:
http://www.privacyrights.org
http://www.privacyalerts.org