Data Broker Remover vs DuckDuckGo Personal Information Removal

Data Broker Remover is a web service that submits data-broker opt-out and deletion requests for one U.S. adult aged 18 or older. Its annual plan costs $30 a year, paid and renewed once yearly. Requests go to covered sites about four times yearly; a site is skipped while an earlier request remains open. The free check searches eight people-search sites using a name and city, displays matching pages, and removes nothing. The paid plan currently sends requests to five of those eight sites, while three are listed for future development. A public catalog names 190 broker organizations, but request availability depends on each broker and state. The service handles matching broker replies and alerts customers when attention is needed. Receipts record submission details, not proof of deletion. Removal is not guaranteed, and data may return. Court, arrest, inmate, mugshot, voter, parcel, state-resident, custom, and extra-person requests are excluded. Account data and receipts are encrypted, with role-limited access and audit trails.

DuckDuckGo Personal Information Removal searches supported data broker and people-search sites for personal details such as names and addresses, then sends requests to remove them. Its listed coverage includes Spokeo, TruePeopleSearch and FastPeopleSearch, among 49 sites. The service periodically rescans sites and handles broker confirmation emails to help catch information that returns. DuckDuckGo says setup information and removal requests are handled on the subscriber’s device, and confirmation emails are deleted within 72 hours. After setup, scans and removals run in the background. The service is limited to U.S. residents, one person per subscription and one device. It works through DuckDuckGo’s Windows or Mac desktop browser and its iOS browser; iOS users need Background App Refresh enabled for effective operation. It cannot remove information from sources including social media, government databases, public records, news articles or image databases. Requests may fail, processing can take up to six weeks, and information may reappear. Plus costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year; Pro costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year. A free trial is available; there is no free plan.