DuckDuckGo: An Automated Personal Information-Removal Service for Data Brokers in the United States, Europe, and Canada
DuckDuckGo is launching a tool today that automatically scans data broker websites for your name and address if you request that they be removed. Gabriel Weinberg says that the personal information-removal product is the first of a kind where users don’t have to give their details to the tool’s owners The service will make the requests for information to be removed and then continually check if new records have been added, Weinberg says. It has been automated so you don’t have to do anything.
Users in the US, Europe and Canada are able to choose from any of the DuckDuckGo’s server locations. The company says it plans to add more over time.
Introducing the Removal Tool for the Optimal Data Brokers of LEP3 (Research Materials), Part II: Overview and Dashboard
Ahead of its launch, the company demonstrated how the system works and some of the engineering efforts that went into its creation. On the surface, the removal tool is straightforward: You access it through the company’s browser and enter some information about yourself, such as your name, year of birth, and any addresses. It looks at 53 data broker websites and asks for the results to be wiped. (All 53 data brokers included have opt-out schemes that allow people to make requests.) A dashboard shows updates about what has been removed and when it will next scan those websites again, in case new records have been added.