A month or two ago, one of our members offered up Delete Me dot com (https://joindeleteme.com/) as a tool to enhance an individual’s privacy by removing personal data found (and sold) online.
Initially, I wasn’t as concerned as I should have been about online privacy. My wife and I have moved abroad. We don’t own any real estate. We aren’t business owners. My wife’s public profile is non-existent, thanks to a lifetime of smart choices. And while a few people recognize me here in Paris, I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a public figure.
So what did I have to worry about? A lot, as it turns out. The internet, you see, is no respecter of geography, profession, or personal preference. It simply feeds on information. Many times, personal information.
I decided to join Delete Me just to be safe. The less personal and financial information about me online, the better, I thought. The kicker was that I had no idea about how many websites had information on me, my wife, and Mommy Dearest.
Let me back up a moment…I signed up for one year’s worth of service from Delete Me, providing them basic personal information about myself, my wife, and later, my mother. They soon generated detailed reports that showed dozens of websites that had my information and were actively selling it to anyone willing to pay for it.
In an age ripe with identity theft and hacking, I’m happy to have spent the money and made my data just a little more difficult to locate.
You can increase your online security and privacy yourself, without paying for the service. It just takes time. There on tips and tricks listed on Delete Me .com’s website and online, of course. So that’s an option.
My advice is this…whatever you decide to do, do something to reduce the amount and detail of information about you that’s online.
Privacy is a Core Value of Old Money. It’s also something that takes vigilance to maintain in this New World.
Until next time…
- BGT