Are data broker removal services actually legit? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 months ago by Gonzako@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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The latest massive youtube sponsor seems to be data broker removal services. As a rule of thumb is if I see the same sponsor more than 3 times it's just a scam.

But as I've recently become assaulted with scam calls due to trying to find a different job the prospect of services like these seem to be more and more enticing.

What do you all think? Is actually a service?

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[-] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 2 months ago

I would assume they do something, but I have not used any of these services myself. My feeling is they're kinda like the tax filing software, they might be useful tools, but their whole business relies on things being unnecessarily burdensome for the average person. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that these companies lobby for lax regulations for data brokers, just enough for their product to be useful but not enough to put them out of business.

Overall, I feel if I freeze my credit, and occasionally google my name for data broker websites, going through the opt-out on the ones, I think that's enough to put me above 90% of the US population, and then it's just a numbers game of not getting scammed.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if it came out that these companies lobby for lax regulations for data brokers

h&r block & turbotax

adam ruins everything spent some time on it.

[-] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 months ago

Right, I'm aware of tax companies doing this. I'm not sure if PII deletion services are doing the same, but they do benefit by having weak data protection laws. What I meant is it wouldn't surprise me if data deletion companies are also lobbying against what's best for Americans, the same way tax prep companies do.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

I'm the future we will know who defeated which laws because if shit like this and people will still patronize them

this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2025

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