dream out loud

I recently found out about a web site, Spokeo.com and heard that it was compiling personal information from many sources, including widely used social networking sites. Always wary about hoaxes and urban legends, I was worried about visiting Spokeo and it being a hoax to collect personal information. So I quickly check Snopes.com and turns out it is true. It is basically a directory web site, like a souped up yellow pages.

I searched my name and I was associated with the address of an office building I used to work in. Pretty harmless, since I don’t work there anymore and have no connection with that address. Then I searched by email address. First I tried my default one that I use for any email list, promotional information, etc. Basically the one I don’t mind getting spammed at. Well, that sure was frightening. It knew my name, my ethnicity, approximate age, level of education, income bracket, interests, and much more which is not at my fingertips right now (because I blocked it from being publicly searchable, more on that later.) This is not at all surprising considering the fact that I used this email address to sign up for email newsletters, making purchases, etc. In fact, this is the very business I used to work in, I know how all the information was collected and how it was sold.

Next I searched on my personal email address that has been retired for about two years now. It had some information, not as personal as the other address and it was linked to my Amazon purchases. Last, I searched on my current personal address, which I don’t use with ANY commercial sources, only with friends. It didn’t come up with any information. You can also search for yourself by username, phone number of friends. Your phone number will tell someone where you live, but that’s no surprise.

With online shopping and social networking these days, not much of what we do is private. It’s kind of scary. All of this information is more relevant to people in the United States. But I highly recommend visiting this web site, searching for yourself and then following the link “Privacy” at the bottom of the page to block your information from being searchable.