Take a look at this sample I pulled from https://unsplash.com/photos/a-boat-travels-on-a-canal-in-front-of-buildings-t8OzFHgBjYk
(Remind me to delete this later to save space XD)
You might want to reply to the parent toot, not this one XD
I also made 16-bit (well, 15.96578428-bit lol) and 15-bit images, but they looked worse than the 8-bit images because there's no way to dither anything more than 256 colors in GIMP.
Oh — yesterday I remembered that I had opted out of data-broker stuff several years ago, with two different services 🤣
There hasn't, anyway, been much data to begin with — also no ad ID from either Apple or Google. #compartmentalization #dataretention
#OptedOut #DataBrokers #PrivacyWins #TookAction 😂✅ #diday #didit #already xD #UnpluTrump #FCKBigTech
Trying to protect my shit!
A few years ago, I bought a one-year subscription to Incogni, and about 18 months ago, I did the same with DeleteMe. Services like these want you to stay subscribed indefinitely. Their pitch is that data brokers are constantly scraping new sources, purchasing new datasets, and reshuffling what they store – so even if they remove your information today, there’s a good chance it will reappear tomorrow. I switched between providers because I assumed each one had different partnerships and coverage, and hopping between them might help knock my information off the widest range of lists.
When my DeleteMe subscription expired in August, it didn’t take long before my information started bubbling back up in searches. The data-broker ecosystem is a bit like whack-a-mole: you push down your profile in one place, and it pops up somewhere else. I figured I’d revisit Incogni for another round, until I realized there’s now a third option in this space.
That service is Optery. Out of curiosity, I signed up to see how well the previous two subscriptions did. Optery scanned the sources they monitor – 386 datasets in total – and found me in 132 of them. That was after a full year with each of the other two providers. It was a good reminder that no matter who you use, none of these services are a one-and-done solution.
To be clear, this isn’t an advertisement for any of these companies. In my experience, they’re all broadly similar in what they promise and how they operate. I’m also not arguing that everyone needs one of these subscriptions. But I do appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can’t just Google my name and immediately find my phone number. In a world where personal data spreads faster than ever, even partial control feels worth something.
ZDNet: I put 2025’s leading data-removal services to the test, and there was a clear winner. “Incogni and DeleteMe are data removal services that can help you lock down your data, but they specialize in different areas. Read on to discover which service will suit you best.”
Gazee, Delete me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7VJfB6LV4Q
DeleteMe, please stop the nonsense: data brokers are not doxxing people
Data brokers selling people's data is not doxxing, and claiming otherwise makes you look stupid and greedy.
#DeleteMe #doxxing #privacy #infosec
https://blog.kamens.us/2025/11/03/deleteme-please-stop-the-nonsense-data-brokers-are-not-doxxing-people/
DeleteMe, please stop the nonsense: data brokers are not doxxing people
DeleteMe, one of the companies which offers to help people remove their private data from data brokers (full disclosure: I am a DeleteMe customer, though after what I write about here I’m questioning that), publishes a monthly newsletter. The November issue misrepresents what doxxing is and falsely claims that data brokers are doxxing people all the time, all for the sake of fear-mongering and selling more DeleteMe subscriptions. This is gross, and it needs to be called out.
Here’s what the newsletter says:
Doxxing—the terrifying exposure of someone’s private personal details online—is a term most people associate with high-profile feuds: influencers, politicians, or those who argue with internet trolls. While those high-value targets are certainly vulnerable, the frightening truth is that doxxing can happen to anyone. In fact, it’s almost certainly happening to you right now.
But here’s the thing: You’re not being doxxed for any particular reason. Most likely no one’s out to “get you” or looking to exact revenge (two of the most common motives behind individual doxxing). You’re not being targeted by an individual. There’s an entire industry.
And their motive for doxxing you? Money. (Yes, we’re talking about data brokers.)
“In order for data brokers to make money, they must advertise our information for sale, and therefore they are doxing us,” DeleteMe’s CEO Rob Shavell observed in a recent interview with Cybernews.
(Incidentally, in the actual newsletter, the link to the Cybernews article ends with “?utm_source=chatgpt.com”. Wow, that’s kind of embarrassing for DeleteMe. I edited the link above to remove the tracking information.)
So, let’s talk about why this is ridiculously wrong.
First, intent is a nearly essential element of doxxing [ref]. Pretty much nobody talks about “doxxing” when they’re just talking about somebody’s private information being exposed online without malicious intent. Saying that the entire data broker industry is “doxxing” people is wrong and ridiculous.
Second, an absolutely essential element of doxxing is public exposure to a large number of people. Most data brokers don’t let you see people’s private data without paying them. While it’s true that a few data brokers make some private data accessible for free if you go to their site and search for an individual, that’s still not doxxing.
And third, what the hell is going on with that quote from the CEO of DeleteMe? “In order for data brokers to make money, they must advertise our information for sale, and therefore they are doxing us”? What? That’s nonsense. It makes no sense.
The whole thing is nonsense.
It’s hiliarious that DeleteMe is criticizing the data brokers for being in it for the money, while accusing them of something they’re not doing in a marketing pitch to convince people to, you know, give DeleteMe money.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no love for data brokers, and I wish the entire industry would die in a fire or get legislated out of existence. But misusing terms to make what the data brokers do sound more ominous than it is helps no one. Words have meanings, and distorting those meanings to make a buck is shitty.
BREAKING: Your notes app has aligned with Skynet. It now knows your grocery list *and* your startup idea. The singularity begins with markdown and ends in unread notifications. 📎🤖 #AI #ProductivityOverlords #DeleteMe
🪐 DeleteMe (US-based Abine) claims to remove your data from brokers. Reality? Smoke & mirrors.
✅ Free DIY removal exists.
⚠️ Removals aren’t permanent.
💸 Yearly plans push fear & lock you in.
📊 Dashboards = illusion.
🔄 Stop paying = data may be shared again.
❌ Trust risk: US laws + weak privacy protections put your info at risk.
Privacy is in your hands, not their dashboard.
#DataSecurity #DigitalPrivacy #DeleteMe #Abine #CyberAwareness #PrivacyFirst
DeleteMe vs. Optery: Which Cleans Up Your Digital Footprint Better?
If you want to reclaim your privacy from data brokers, you’ll need expert help from a data removal service. DeleteMe is a long-standing leader in the field, while Optery is a rising competitor gaining momentum. I’ve reviewed both to help you decide which is the right fit for you.
https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/deleteme-vs-optery-which-cleans-up-your-digital-footprint-better
What #DeleteMe and #Incogni aren't telling you
(obviously try to watch this with uBlock or other tracking blockers)
#Incogni vs. #DeleteMe: Which service removes your #personaldata best?
DeleteMe vs. Incogni: Which Personal Data Removal Service Is Right for You?
Personal data removal services help scrub your info from people-search sites and data brokers, and DeleteMe and Incogni are the most popular options. I've tested and reviewed both, so let's see how they stack up on features, ease of use, and value.
#Information can't destroyed? You sure about that little #Science boy? Check out the #sponsor of this post #DeleteMe and then get back to me
Online privacy protection for people in the resistance: DeleteMe, Block Party
If, like me, you are actively resisting DOGE and the Trump administration on the record, i.e., with your name attached to your efforts, then I would like to encourage you to step up your online privacy protection game, for your own safety and the safety of those close to you (being doxxed or swatted is no fun, nor is having MAGA people show up at your front door to threaten you, nor is being dogpiled and harassed online).
I want to make two specific recommendations.
First of all, DeleteMe [full disclosure: you get a discount and I get a gift card if you sign up through that link] has been recommended to me by numerous people who are experienced in this space. DeleteMe is pricey, but I believe it’s worth it, for two reasons:
Second, I recommend signing up for the Block Party App and using it to check and update the settings for your social-media and social-media-adjacent (e.g., Venmo) accounts. It costs about $100 per year, though you may be able to get a 50% discount with the offer code “JOINTHEPARTY”. You can try it out for free on one site before you sign up. It’s impossible for any of us to keep track of all the settings etc. that need to be tweaked at all of these sites to protect our privacy. The folks at Block Party do it for you and make it easy as pie to check and update settings.
It may be impossible for you to totally scrub your presence from the internet, but that’s not the goal. Every bit of information you are able to remove or make harder for the bad guys to find will slow them down. As the Block Party folks put it, if you can make it go from taking 30 seconds to 30 minutes for a bad actor to find something private about you online, you’ll dramatically decrease the number of people willing to go through the effort. Think of it like putting an alarm-system sign on your lawn to encourage burglars to skip your house.
Let’s be safe out there!
TIL of https://databrokerswatch.org/ - contains a list of data brokers (downloadable in CSV format)
List contains email addresses that can be used to send data deletion requests
Leitfaden: Wie du personenbezogene Daten aus der Google-Suche entfernen kannst.
#leitfaden #tutorial #sensibledaten #entfernen #deleteme #datenschutz #google #googlesuche #googlesuchergebnisse
https://teufelswerk.net/personenbezogene-daten-aus-der-google-suche-entfernen/
Gotta say - I see #DeleteMe #sponsor so many #YouTube #videos now I can't help but think, "Surely this is a scam, right?"
Listen, I don't know how their service works, but given my general tech knowledge I'm skeptical that DeleteMe can actually offer any actual proof that they have actually done anything to improve your online privacy.
Those of you who have used the service, what are your thoughts? Cure me of my skepticism.
