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I hate the idea of my personal information floating around the internet for anyone to see; the lack of control is unsettling. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been testing a couple of data removal services, starting with DeleteMe and, more recently, PrivacyBee. After spending a lot of time with each, I can confidently say I prefer PrivacyBee.
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The service is far more comprehensive, offering a wide range of tools and features that its counterpart can't match. It scanned deeper, uncovered additional potential exposures, and provided a level of control that exceeded my expectations. On top of that, the service's transparent communication and hands-on approach made the process feel more reassuring.
PrivacyBee in action
PrivacyBee, as a service, is pretty hands-off from the user's side. Upon purchasing a subscription, you'll be asked to provide personal information that the service will use to hunt down your data. At most, all you really have to do is manage the service: Look over what's being done, add more data if need be, and direct PrivacyBee on what it should focus on.
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The dashboard is where you'll find all your current actions. At the top is the Identity Vault banner, displaying uncovered data found online, including your name, aliases, past addresses, cities you've lived in, and old phone numbers. If an entry belongs to you, you can confirm and have the service begin the removal process.
Clicking on a phone number, for example, prompts you to verify your ownership. However, if you no longer have access to that number and are unable to verify via text or call, you will need to contact the support team to have it manually verified.
Other features include:
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