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This information is not legal advice and is for educational purposes only. Please consider your own situation, safety, and ability to do any/all of these things. Not everything will apply to you.
When it comes to people being able to doxx you on the internet with social media, it’s easy for people to find you.
Our goal is to take some steps to make it a bit harder for someone to locate you.
What is Doxxing?
First let’s define a what doxxing means.
Doxxing is when someone publishes the personal information of their targets. Doxxing uses personal contact information or personally identifiable information (PII) to escalate harassment against their target, which could be you.
Generally, harassers use publicly available information, such as home addresses, phone number or social security numbers (all forms of PII).
Doxxing is easy because so much of our information is online via data brokers, such as people finder sites.
Search for Yourself
Next, check if your information is publicly available using Google or one of the people finder sites. This way you can see what an attacker can find to target you.
Start with some user name and some people search sites:
https://www.spokeo.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/
http://www.whitepages.com/
Start making a list of things you’d like to remove from the search results, and keep in mind that some information cannot be removed.
Consider places your private information might be located, beyond Google searches. If you own a home or have property records, those are public. In some states, licensing records are public, especially if you’re a lawyer, therapist, social worker, nurse or someone with professional licenses.
Additionally, website registration records are public. You can purchase domain privacy (please do) when you buy a domain. Look up your domain privacy here: ICANN Lookup
Other records to consider that might be public, include some non-profit and business filings. For example, if you are a registered agent for a business, that information is public in business filing paperwork with both the state, you can search records here https://www.llcuniversity.com/50-secretary-of-state-sos-business-entity-search/ and with the IRS.
In some states, voter registration records are publicly available. Availability of voter registration records varies by state, you can find your state information here: https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/access-to-and-use-of-voter-registration-lists.aspx
Data Brokers
If you’ve lived in the United States at any point, your information is everywhere online, and data brokers likely have it. Your name home/work addresses, phone number, email address, and other sensitive information are posted for public viewing on these data broker websites; This is frequently how harassers find information they use to dox their targets.
Remove yourself from data broker sites to help minimize your digital footprint. There are a couple of guides that can help with data removal:
Yael Grauer’s Big Ass Data Broker Opt Out List: GitHub – yaelwrites/Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-List
Delete Me by Abine’s Opt Out List: Opt-Out Guides – DeleteMe (joindeleteme.com)
Michael Bazzell’s Extreme Privacy Opt Out Workbook: IntelTechniques Data Removal Workbook
Here are the top 10 data brokers who sell your data, which trickles down to the numerous data aggregation resellers. Request removal from these sites to make a dent in your information being taken offline.
Some data broker sites take a few months to remove information or require a written letter to opt out your data, but many allow online removal, and it only takes minute to fill out the request.
Service: Spokeo
Website: https://spokeo.com
Removal Link: https://www.spokeo.com/optout
Privacy Policy: https://www.spokeo.com/privacy
Contact: support@spokeo.com, customercare@spokeo.com
Requirements: Online submission, email verification
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: White Pages
Website: https://whitepages.com
Removal Link: http://www.whitepages.com/suppression_requests
Privacy Policy: https://www.whitepages.com/data-policy
Contact: support@whitepages.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: Radaris
Website: https://radaris.com
Removal Link: https://radaris.com/control/privacy
Privacy Policy: https://radaris.com/page/privacy
Contact: support@radaris.com, info@radaris.com
Requirements: Online submission, email verification
Notes: Select your profile and submit to removal URL.
Service: MyLife
Website: https://www.mylife.com
Removal Link: https://www.mylife.com/ccpa/index.pubview
Privacy Policy: https://www.mylife.com/privacy-policy/
Contact: privacy@mylife.com
Requirements: Email or online submission
Notes: Send email with removal request. CA residents can use the opt-out link.
Service: Intelius
Website: https://intelius.com
Removal Link: https://www.intelius.com/opt-out
Privacy Policy: https://www.intelius.com/privacy.php
Contact: privacy@intelius.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: Been Verified
Website: https://www.beenverified.com
Removal Link: https://www.beenverified.com/faq/opt-out/
Privacy Policy: https://www.beenverified.com/privacy
Contact: privacy@beenverified.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: Acxiom
Website: https://www.acxiom.com
Removal Link: https://isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx
Privacy Policy: https://www.acxiom.com/about-acxiom/privacy/us-products-privacy-policy/
Contact: consumeradvo@acxiom.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: Infotracer
Website: https://infotracer.com
Removal Link: https://infotracer.com/optout
Privacy Policy: https://infotracer.com/privacy/
Contact: https://infotracer.com/help/
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Alternative site: https://members.infotracer.com/removeMyData
Service: LexisNexis/Accurint
Website: https://lexisnexis.com
Removal Link: https://optout.lexisnexis.com
Privacy Policy: https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/terms/privacy-policy.page
Contact: privacy.information.mgr@lexisnexis.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process. You can upload digital documents.
Service: LexisNexis Direct Marketing
Website: https://www.lexisnexis.com
Removal Link: https://www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/directmarketingopt-out.aspx
Privacy Policy: https://www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/
Contact: privacy.information.mgr@lexisnexis.com
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
Service: True People Search
Website: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com
Removal Link: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/removal
Privacy Policy: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/privacy
Contact: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/contact
Requirements: Online submission
Notes: Online removal tool will complete the process.
It’s a good idea to check every few months to see if your information has been relisted on data broker sites. If this is not something you want to do yourself, and you have the means, there are paid services available to help remove your personal information from paid sites, and then monitors them for you.
Two of those services are DeleteMe by Abine and Kanary, costs range from $100-$250/yr depending on if you’re getting coverage for you or you and your family.
Address Confidentiality Program
Finally, there is an option for you if you are a victim of harassment/stalking and need to keep your address from being publicly available.
Every state handles the Address Confidentiality Program a little bit differently, but this program allows victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking an other types of crime to receive mail at a confidential address.
The program keeps your actual address undisclosed and forwards mail to you.
You can find more information about the program and the states where it is available here:
https://victimconnect.org/learn/address-confidentiality/
Final Thoughts
We’re layering in your security to ensure better online privacy, one step at a time.
Talk to your support network, a close friend or family member who can help you work through these simple processes, or listen when you’re scared or frustrated.
Your mental health and safety are the most important pieces of this entire process, take care of yourself.
Need more help? We offer Data Opt Out Services for individuals and businesses, schedule a consultation here.
For more simple solutions to keep you safe or find more help on our Resources page.
The guidance included in this article do not constitute legal advice and is for educational purposes only.