4 ms·

So I like removing myself from data brokers as a side hobby. In general they seem to be pretty quick to do so. However, OpenCorporates lists my name & home addr

So I like removing myself from data brokers as a side hobby. In general they seem to be pretty quick to do so. However, OpenCorporates lists my name & home address, and absolutely refuses to remove it, as I'm self-employed and I have a corporate registration with my state. I eventually contacted the CEO directly and he said 'no, we won't remove you, go away'. They're based in the UK. Any general thoughts on them?

dheera 5y ago
Best thing I can say is (a) move (b) do NOT register for USPS forwarding to your new address (USPS will help the data brokers) (c) change your legal address for service of process to a registered agent service, not your residential address (d) get a UPS mail box for your day-to-day corporate mail, and preferably most of your personal mail as well Completely 100% refuse to ever give out your residential address for anything business-related. In addition, a couple of other common culprits for unethically releasing addresses to data brokers: - DMV -- opt out explicitly - Voter registration - Don't register to vote if you aren't in a swing state - Utilities -- opt out explicitly - Credit cards -- opt out explicitly - Random small e-commerce websites you need to receive packages from -- ship them to your UPS box or to your workplace if you can
- DataBrokerLol 5y ago
  I would recommend against explicitly recommending voter fraud to people, regardless of the intent.
  - dheera 5y ago
    (I didn't think that was illegal if you were in the same district, but edited it anyway)
    - DataBrokerLol 5y ago
      It is, and it is (I thought?) common knowledge due to the high profile cases where this was abused. There's nothing morally wrong about doing it, but it is illegal and people do face consequences for it.
      - dheera 5y ago
        Hm. So how do homeless people register to vote? Can I register in the same way? Cursory Google search seems to indicate you only need a mailing address, and your residence can be described as a cross street or some such. I mean, I don't care if the government knows where I live, but I do care if they leak it to people without my explicit consent.
- eastbayjake 5y ago
  > Voter registration - Don't register to vote if you aren't in a swing state With all due respect: this is quite silly. There are many issues in American democracy besides the election of federal officials, and your vote is important. In my home state I voted on >15 ballot initiatives this year and several were decided by a few thousand votes, including kitchen table issues that meaningfully impact your life and immediate community in more tangible ways than our president or your senators. I would much rather have a voice in e.g. how my community addresses homelessness than avoid the nuisance of cigarette coupons that have followed me across 7 addresses in 3 states.

dheera 5y ago

Best thing I can say is (a) move (b) do NOT register for USPS forwarding to your new address (USPS will help the data brokers) (c) change your legal address for service of process to a registered agent service, not your residential address (d) get a UPS mail box for your day-to-day corporate mail, and preferably most of your personal mail as well Completely 100% refuse to ever give out your residential address for anything business-related. In addition, a couple of other common culprits for unethically releasing addresses to data brokers: - DMV -- opt out explicitly - Voter registration - Don't register to vote if you aren't in a swing state - Utilities -- opt out explicitly - Credit cards -- opt out explicitly - Random small e-commerce websites you need to receive packages from -- ship them to your UPS box or to your workplace if you can

DataBrokerLol 5y ago
I would recommend against explicitly recommending voter fraud to people, regardless of the intent.
- dheera 5y ago
  (I didn't think that was illegal if you were in the same district, but edited it anyway)
  - DataBrokerLol 5y ago
    It is, and it is (I thought?) common knowledge due to the high profile cases where this was abused. There's nothing morally wrong about doing it, but it is illegal and people do face consequences for it.
    - dheera 5y ago
      Hm. So how do homeless people register to vote? Can I register in the same way? Cursory Google search seems to indicate you only need a mailing address, and your residence can be described as a cross street or some such. I mean, I don't care if the government knows where I live, but I do care if they leak it to people without my explicit consent.
eastbayjake 5y ago
> Voter registration - Don't register to vote if you aren't in a swing state With all due respect: this is quite silly. There are many issues in American democracy besides the election of federal officials, and your vote is important. In my home state I voted on >15 ballot initiatives this year and several were decided by a few thousand votes, including kitchen table issues that meaningfully impact your life and immediate community in more tangible ways than our president or your senators. I would much rather have a voice in e.g. how my community addresses homelessness than avoid the nuisance of cigarette coupons that have followed me across 7 addresses in 3 states.