Individual privacy concerns are at an all-time high, fueled by the booming industry of data brokers who collect and sell personal information for various purposes, often without our knowledge or consent. These detailed profiles can be used for targeted advertising, identity theft, and even discrimination.
In response, services offering data removal from broker sites have emerged, aiming to empower individuals to take control of their online footprint. The latest entrant is Mozilla, with its paid subscription service, Mozilla Monitor Plus which is an annual subscription and allows you to monitor data broker websites for subscribers’ personal information, in order to eliminate their exposed confidential information.
Monitor Plus builds on the existing free Monitor service, which alerts users if their email address has been compromised in a data breach. But Plus goes much further, actively searching over 190 data broker sites for your personal information, including:
- Email and postal addresses
- Names of relatives and associates
- Online activity data
- Education history
If it finds your information on any of these sites, Monitor Plus will automatically initiate deletion requests on your behalf.
This paid evolution of their free Monitor service, which only tracks email breaches, aims to give users more control over their online privacy.
What Does Monitor Plus Do?
For a monthly subscription fee, Monitor Plus scans the web for your personal information on data broker sites.
- As Mozilla explains in its presentation post , a lot of information can be searched, depending on that you provide Monitor Plus with your basic information like name, address, and email.
- The service scans data broker sites looking for matches with your info.
- If a match is found, Monitor Plus automatically submits a removal request on your behalf.
- You receive updates on the removal process, which can take up to a month.
The company has stressed that Monitor Plus will inform users once it has deleted their personal information from more than 190 third-party data websites, “ twice as many as other competitors ,” according to thier statement.
The price point:
Monitor Plus comes with a monthly subscription fee of $8.99 in the US. No word yet on international availability or pricing.
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain:
The Good:
- Convenience: Manually removing your data from data broker sites can be time-consuming and complex. Monitor Plus automates the process, making it easier for users to take control of their online privacy.
- Transparency: Mozilla is a non-profit with a reputation for advocating for user privacy. This adds a layer of trust to the service compared to for-profit data removal companies.
- Comprehensiveness: Monitor Plus covers more data broker sites than many competitors, potentially offering a more thorough clean-up.
The Bad:
- Effectiveness: There’s no guarantee that data brokers will comply with removal requests. Some may require manual follow-up or legal action.
- Cost: The subscription fee might be a barrier for some users, especially considering the uncertain effectiveness of the service.
- Limited Scope: Monitor Plus only addresses data broker sites, not other sources of data leaks, like social media platforms or data breaches.
The Uncertain:
- Long-Term Impact: It’s unclear how data brokers will react to a large influx of removal requests. They may adapt their tactics or find new ways to collect and sell data. While Mozilla claims a high success rate, there’s no guarantee your information will vanish completely.
Are there alternatives?
Several free services, such as “DeleteMe” and “Abine DeleteMe,” offer similar data removal features. However, their coverage might be limited compared to Monitor Plus. Additionally, you can manually opt out of data brokers directly, but the process can be time-consuming and complex.
The bottom line:
Mozilla’s Monitor Plus offers a convenient way to try and remove your personal data from data brokers. However, it’s not a guaranteed solution and comes with a price tag. Ultimately, the decision of whether to use it depends on your individual privacy concerns and budget.
