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Articles on:Opt Outs & Removals
How opt outs and removals work and what to expect.

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  • Does Optery remove social media accounts?
    Unfortunately, Optery does not cover social media sites like LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, etc. Optery only removes from data brokers and people search sites. However, you can refer to our opt-out guides on how to remove yourself from social media accounts here: Facebook - https://www.optery.com/facebook-how-to-delete-your-facebook-account-step-by-step-instructions/ Linkedin - https://www.optery.com/linkedin-how-to-delete-your-linkedin-account-step-by-step-instruFew readers
  • What information does Optery share with data brokers when opting me out?
    Unfortunately, there is a catch-22 where in order to opt out of data broker sites, you must first tell them who you are, otherwise, how else would they know who to opt out. To create an account with Optery, the minimum information required is: First Name, Last Name, Year of Birth,Few readers
  • Will Optery be able to remove All of my information from the internet?
    No, in the majority of cases, Optery will not be able to remove all of your information from the Internet. Firstly, Optery only covers data broker and people search web sites, so by definition, Optery will not remove your information from other types of sites. You can learn more about which sites Optery does not cover here: What Type of Sites Does Optery Not Cover? Furthermore, Optery's Terms of Service state: "Optery will use gooFew readers
  • About the free and open-source Optery Global Privacy Control (GPC) Extension
    The Optery Global Privacy Control (GPC) Extension is a free and open-source web browser extension that allows you to send privacy preference signals to websites, indicating that you do not want your personal information to be sold or shared.Few readers
  • After upgrading, how long does it take for my profiles to be removed?
    Unfortunately, removing you from hundreds of data brokers does not happen instantaneously, or even overnight. Some data brokers process removals within 24 hours, but others take several weeks, or even months to comply. After upgrading, Optery starts its automated opt out processing and within about 1 week you'll start to see many of the profiles disappear and for the new statuses to be updated in your dashboard. In our experience, customers typically see that more than half of their exposedPopular
  • Does Optery share the email addresses or phone numbers I provide with data brokers when opting me out?
    Does Optery share the email addresses or phone numbers I provide with data brokers when opting me out? No, by default, Optery does not share the email addresses or phone numbers you provide with data brokers when you opt out. Most data brokers require an email address to process an opt-out request. With an Optery paid plan, we autogenerate custom private email addresses for your opt-out submissions that we manage for you behind-the-scenes, so your inbox is spared. To be clear: no - theFew readers
  • Removing Outdated Links to Data Brokers with the Optery Ultimate Plan and Google’s Remove Outdated Content Tool
    After successfully removing your profile from a data broker, you'll likely see in its place a page displaying something like "Page Not Found" or "No results for that name". However, if you search Google or Bing, you may still see an old link to that data broker profile page, along with cached information about you, in the search results for a few days or even up to several weeks. The next time Google re-crawls the page, which may take up to several weeks, your out-dated information will be rePopular
  • My profile was removed from a data broker, but the link is still showing up in Google, Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo?
    After a profile has been removed from a data broker, the link still may appear in Google's cached results for a few weeks before it ages out of their cache and is deleted. Google offers a Removal Outdated Content Tool for submitting these links and having them removed from their cache on an expedited basis. Optery now automatically submits outdated content removal requests to Google and Bing (including DuckDuckGo) for Ultimate Plan customers. You can read our Help Desk article Removing OutFew readers
  • If I use Optery, will that increase my phone or email spam?
    (htFew readers
  • How can I verify the profiles Optery says have been removed, have actually been removed?
    With patented deep link URLs leading customers directly into their profiles at data broker web sites and Removals Reports displaying before-and-after screenshots of the places customers have been removed, Optery provides more "proof" of its removals than any other personal data removal service on the market. In fact, many people create an Optery Free Basic account to double-check their own self-service removal efforts, or the work of our competitors, before switching over to an Optery paid accoFew readers
  • Will Optery remove other people's profiles if they display my personal information too?
    Unfortunately some data brokers may display your personal information on other people's profiles, most commonly on the profiles of your family members. Per Section 6, subsection (iii) in the Optery Terms of Service, Removal Services will be provided for data broker profiles primarily representing you and will not be provided for data broker profiles primarily representing someone other than you.Few readers
  • Does Optery submit state-specific data rights requests (e.g. CCPA, CPRA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA, VCDPA)?
    If you wish to leverage state-specific data rights requests, please be sure to utilize our Limited Power of Attorney agreement to appoint Optery as your Authorized Agent. Learn more Optery processes opt out and removal requests for 310+ data brokers, and we use a variety of methods to execute these opt out and removal requests. For example, we do often use the CCPA opt outFew readers
  • If I purchased a subscription from a data broker’s site, how does it affect my removals?
    If you previously purchased a subscription with a data broker, Optery cannot remove your profile as it now must be managed by you. You will need to retrieve your login information and log back into your data broker account to delete or hide your profile. Unfortunately, Optery is not able to do this for you.Few readers
  • What is a Sponsored Link profile?
    In general, People Search Sites provide profiles on individuals after a search is initiated. In some cases, initiating a search for an individual on a People Search Site displays the profiles that the People Search Site has gathered from various personal data sources, and displays additional profiles containing information from other companies. These additional profiles are sponsored by other companies advertising that they, too, can reveal personal details about individuals on their websites usFew readers
  • As a new customer, why has my removals progress stalled?
    New Optery customers that scrutinize their dashboard and opt out progress are often very impressed with a large amount of opt out and removal activity happening in the first 1 - 2 weeks of their subscription, and then are surprised to see things stall with relatively little progress from around week 3 - 4. In this post, we explain why this happens and what to expect in the first month. Optery's approach is a combination of automated opt out platform + human privacy agents for quality assuranceFew readers
  • How do I report an exposed profile or removals issue that Optery has incorrectly marked "Removed / Not Found"?
    If you find an exposed profile that Optery has incorrectly marked "Removed / Not Found", please navigate to the Removals Issues screen and submit the URL, a screenshot and any additional information that would be helpful for us to investigate.Few readers
  • When my data is removed from a data broker, is this permanent?
    Unfortunately, after removing your data from a data broker, this is generally not permanent. The answer to this question also varies heavily depending on the data broker. Every data broker honors opt outs a little bit differently. Some data brokers honor opt outs indefinitely, but others require annual effort to ensure your name and personal info stays removed. For example, The California Consumer Privacy Act, also known as the CCPA - the most strict privacy law in the U.S. - actually permiFew readers
  • Does Optery remove information from the Dark Web?
    Optery does not remove information from the Dark Web and does not provide Dark Web scanning or reporting either.Few readers
  • In My Removals Progress Update, What's the Difference Between "Pending" and "In Progress"?
    In your Account Notification Preferences you can configure your Data Broker Removal Status Updates to be delivered Weekly, Monthly, or Never. Each Removals Progress Update contains the following statuses. Removed Not Found, Pending, In Progress, Total Covered.Few readers

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