What Is Personal Data Removal and How Can It Help?

Highlights:

• Personal data removal can help remove certain details from people search sites.
• These tools may help reduce spam, protect your privacy and lower some safety risks.
• Victims of identity theft may get the most use out of data removal services.
• Eligible Equifax^® members can use the myEquifax™ Personal Data Removal tool.

Protecting your identity online can feel harder than it used to. Many people share personal information online every day. When you shop, fill out forms or use apps, you give them your personal information.

That information may include your name, address, phone number or email address. If it falls into the wrong hands, criminals could use it for scams, spam or identity theft. Data removal services can help make some of that information harder to find.

What is personal data removal and how does it work?

Personal data removal finds certain personal details online and asks to remove them. These tools often focus on people search sites. These sites may collect and share information about you.

A data removal service may search supported sites for your information. If it finds a match, it may send removal requests for you. Some tools also keep checking because your information can show up again later.

A data removal service may help remove details such as:

• Your name
• Home address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Age
• Past addresses
• Names of relatives

Data removal services do not erase you from the internet. But, they may help reduce how much personal data is easy to find.

Why would I need a data removal tool?

A data removal tool may be helpful if you have already been a victim of identity theft. If someone used your information before, removing it may help lower future risk.

It may also help if you value your privacy. Some people do not want their home address, phone number or family details to be easy to find online.

Data removal tools may offer a few benefits:

• Less spam. Removing your phone number or email may help reduce unwanted calls, texts or emails.
• More privacy. Less public information may make it harder for others to find personal details about you.
• Better safety. Removing your address from some sites may help lower certain safety risks.
• Less targeted pricing. Less data may limit how many companies can use your information to target offers.
• Less work for you. A tool may send removal requests to many sites, so you do not have to contact each one yourself.

How can I access the myEquifax Personal Data Removal tool?

Your personal information can appear in places you may not know about, and it can be hard to remove on your own. The myEquifax Personal Data Removal tool makes it easy to request removal of your data. This can help add another layer of protection. It may also help protect you from threats you did not know existed. These could include public listings and data brokers where your personal information is sold. This feature can help remove your personal data from more than 100 people search sites. You can access this if you are an Equifax Complete™ Premier or Equifax Complete™ Family Plan user.

How else can Equifax help me protect my identity?

Personal data removal can help protect your identity. But identity theft can still happen through scams, data breaches or stolen personal details. Identity theft can also affect your credit. If someone uses your information to take on debt, your credit reports may reflect that.

Equifax Complete™ Premier can help track your credit and protect against identity theft. Plus, you get access to the myEquifax Personal Data Removal tool. It's important to stay aware of changes tied to your credit and personal information. Equifax is making it easier than ever to do so.