There is a scary amount of personal information on the internet. You don’t need a degree in information technology or network administration to find someone’s email address, telephone number or where they live.
Whether you consider them shady or not, people search websites have a lot of information on all of us. The worst part is that most don’t even know their details are publically available.
This guide will show you how to remove yourself from the BeenVerified website. It is the first in what will become a weekly feature on how to remove your information from people search sites.
Here’s the backstory
Websites like BeenVerified, People Finder and Intelius scrape through as much of the internet as possible to gather publically available information on you. This can come from social media, court records, public records or other services.
Besides packaging the information in a searchable database for others to find, it can also sell the information to data brokers. These companies are responsible for targeted advertising on social media or Google Ads.
There is a darker side, too, as scammers and hackers can access the data to increase phishing attacks or scams.
How to remove your data
Removing your data from BeenVerified isn’t as complicated as you might imagine. However, it is one of the most prominent people search sites, so it is a great place to start your information deletion journey.
- First, you must navigate to the correct page. Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/search to start the process.
- Enter your first and last name and select your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.
- Select the correct match from the search results and click Proceed to Opt-Out.
- To submit an opt-out request, you must fill in your email address and click on the Send Verification Email.
- Check your inbox for an email from the sender Privacy with the subject [BeenVerified] Opt-Out Verification.
- Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page. However, removal won’t be immediate, so expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.
How to remove your property data
Not only can people search through personal details, but they can also go through property records. You simply put the address into the search bar, and it will return results like the building area, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and, on some occasions, the name of the current owner.
Here’s how to opt out:
- Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/address-search to start the process.
- Enter your address in the search box.
- If a correct result pops up, click on Continue in the top-right.
- On the next page, you must tick the box on the names you want to remove from the record. Then, click Opt-out Owner.
- You must fill in your email address on the next page and click on the Send Verification Email.
- Check your inbox and look for an email from the sender Privacy with the subject [BeenVerified] Opt-Out Verification.
- Open the email and click the link inside. This will bring you to a confirmation page. However, removal won’t be immediate, so expect it to take several days to weeks before your information vanishes.
Keep reading
Opt-Out Tuesday: Remove yourself from creepy people search sites