The Radaris opt-out process can be challenging. With the guide below, you can protect your personal information and privacy even easier than ever before.
You have a business so your information is going to be out on the internet. That’s fine – you want people to find out all about your business and its contact information. That’s how you build an online reputation. You want your reviews to be seen, along with what you can provide to your customers and potential customers.
But there is a point where too much information can turn risky. There are a lot of data collection broker websites out there, meant to specifically collect your information to sell it to anyone who has a credit card in hand. Yes, we’re serious. Anyone who has a credit card can log on to Radaris, enter your name, and then get any information they want about you. And if they subscribe, they can get notified automatically for any new updates that relate to your name. And the Radaris opt-out system is purposely difficult to find and navigate.
The risky part is when your personal information is now out on the web for anyone to find.
Let’s dive in to learn more about Radaris even is, if it’s safe, what it tracks, and how to do a Radaris opt-out.
What is Radaris?
Radaris is a people-search site that gathers and sells your personal data to anyone who requests it. Basically, anyone can go look up your name right now – or your business name – and purchase your personal information for a low cost. While some people may not care, this is an invasion of your privacy and can cause potential privacy risks. Someone can steal your identity easier this way.
The best way to keep your information safe is to remove all information from the Radaris database. This can be a complicated process, though, but we’re going to explain it all in a moment.
Is Radaris Safe?
Before we jump into searching Radaris and opting out, let’s talk about its safety. Is it actually safe? Radaris is safe as far as being able to browse through it without worrying about scams and malware. Aside from that, it’s not safe if you are someone who doesn’t want your personal information in front of just anyone.
How to See if You Show Up Under a Radaris Search
The first thing you do is go to www.radaris.com Next, you will enter your name and click the magnifying glass icon.
The second step involves Radaris searching the database and giving you a list of everyone who matched the name you put in.
Your third step is where you will need to narrow down your results if you need to by entering a state or city.
Next, you will get access to free profiles including information about the name you chose, the property, and any business details.
The fifth step is background checks. You can access the most recent data and see background checks of anyone, which is kind of scary in a way.
How Does Radaris Even Get Your Information?
Just like other major data brokers, Radaris uses several methods to gain information about you, including social mentions and platforms, public records, government records, tax records, email databases, phone directories, and more. Radaris has always been known to send a representative to a government office to obtain public records that may not be found online.
Radaris relies a lot on other data brokers like Spokeo, My Life, Lexis Nexis, and Intelius. All of the information someone finds out about you on Radaris is packaged into a file and sold to a paying customer. They also have a subscription-based method where if there was new information about you, it would be sent to the paying customer.
This may sound like a scary concept – and quite invasive to say the least – but unfortunately, it’s completely legal in the United States. Keep in mind, despite it being legal, you have every right to request that the data brokers remove your information from their system and stop sharing it. The process for opting out looks different for every brokerage firm. Don’t assume because you opted out of things like My Life or Spokeo that your information won’t be on Radaris. We wish it were that easy; unfortunately, that’s just not the case.
We will provide step-by-step instructions to get rid of your personal information so you can feel a bit safer and more at ease.
How to Remove Your Information From Radaris Using the Radaris Opt-Out Protocol
To remove yourself from Radaris properly, you will need to create separate removal requests for every record that matches your personal information. This can be done manually; however, we recommend using a data removal service to make it a bit simpler and less time-consuming.
If you want to go through the process manually, follow these steps:
- To use Radaris opt-out you need to first sign up for Radaris. You can search your name and then you will need to sign up. This may seem counterproductive, but this is the only way. Don’t worry, we will help you make sure your information gets erased.
- When you sign up, use Proton mail so you can be protected by an encrypted email. Bonus: You can use this email for all data brokerage opt-outs, not just Radaris.
- Once you sign up and log in, you will need to verify your account and confirm your information. Once you verify, click your account and go to “My Page Link” once you verify ownership. Now, this is where you can click “delete specific records”.
- You will be able to delete up to six records at a time for things like public records, phone numbers and addresses, and social network profiles. Choose the six items you would like to remove and then click on the orange button named “remove selected records” at the bottom of the page. After you submit this request, you will be taken to a confirmation page.
- The estimated turnaround time is about 72 hours. However, it’s ideal to wait about seven days before checking to make sure the data was removed properly.
What Information Will Be Removed During Your Radaris Opt-Out?
Radaris allows you to choose the specific records you would like to remove. The information could range from property tax records, employment history, contact information, and more. Removing your information from Radaris will not automatically delete it from all of the other data brokers, so keep that in mind. You may have to go through the process with other data broker sites.
Common Questions and Concerns Related to Opting Out of Radaris
How long does it take to get your information removed from Radaris?
It can take 48-72 hours, but some people recommend waiting at least seven business days to make sure it is processed properly.
What does Radaris even do with the information?
Radaris itself doesn’t keep a database of public records and information. What happens is when someone uses the platform to search, the information comes from public record databases like property transactions, postal address change requests, voter registration information, and phone companies.
After you complete the process to remove your personal information, Radaris and other sources will no longer process the searches with your name.
Is the process of opting out of Radaris safe?
Radaris claims that they use the best security practices to protect their users’ personal and financial information. Each transaction is protected with 128-bit encryption. The servers are continuously checked for compliance.
What if you don’t have time to remove all of your data from the sites?
On the Radaris website, they listed an overwhelming number of websites where they source their information, and the request for removal can take days to weeks. If you don’t have time to go through all of this yourself, that’s okay, there are tools out there to help with the opt-out process, and will fill out the opt-out form for you.
Why is removing your information important to your business?
Everyone wants their business to be known about, to receive exposure, and be available to search to check out all of your products and services. Not to mention, you want everyone to see your online reputation is good when they are considering purchasing from you. But what about when your personal information is attached?
It’s one thing for people to be able to find out contact information, the year you began your business, maybe even your revenue, but when it starts going too far and showing your personal home address, your phone number, your family members, date of birth, and other information it can get risky.
If you have an online business, you don’t know everyone you could be coming into contact with. You could easily be the target for identity theft, or the personal information could put you or your family members at risk.
It’s best to move forward with the Radaris opt-out and get your personal public records out of sight of anyone who shouldn’t have access to them.
Wrapping It Up
Online reputation management is critical to your business. When people go on the search engines to find your business or search your industry, you want to make sure you position your business well and make a good impression.
If your business is found in internet searches, that is one huge step. But when other sites, especially information broker platforms start getting your information, they can sell your personal information and start giving out more information about you than you want.
For example, you don’t mind customers knowing your business number, but they can easily find your cell phone number with a public records search engine. It’s unsettling how easy it is for someone to access this type of information.
To find out if you’re in a searchable database like Radaris, follow the steps above. If you want to opt out, make sure you follow the steps thoroughly and wait for your verification code and confirmation link to show it processed correctly.
It’s bad enough that government offices can provide personal information like address, tax information, etc.; you don’t need your personal information sold online to anyone who is a cardholder.
Know your rights and know you can opt-out any time you want. Be aware that you have to go through this process with each of the data broker sites. It may be time-consuming, but it’s worth it in the end to have peace of mind.
You can have your business public. Let your contact information and positive reviews shine, but you have the right to keep your personal information to yourself.
Need help managing your reputation online? Check out our reputation management here.