DeleteMe Mobile App Lets Consumers Remove Private Information From Data Brokers While On The Go

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Abine, Inc., today announced the launch of DeleteMe Mobile, a mobile-optimized version of its DeleteMe service, designed to safeguard personal information against the growing threat of data tracking, collection, and sale. With DeleteMe Mobile, people are able to search, find, remove, and monitor their personal information on data brokers' websites – all from the convenience of their iOS mobile devices, like iPhones and iPads.

Many people are unaware of the scale and scope of data collected during routine online activity, not to mention the increasing practice of combining online and offline activities such as voting records, home address, and Internet browsing habits, to assemble a comprehensive database or profile of who they are, what they're interested in, and what motivates them. More than 200 data brokers collect sensitive consumer information each day, and that number continues to rise at an alarming rate. Different opt-out policies and constantly changing procedures at each company or data broker make it nearly impossible to manage your personal information and correct or remove it from the databases. Even worse, records often reappear, leaving a person with no choice but to start the process all over again. Some websites don't offer individual consumers a way to opt out or contest a record at all. DeleteMe Mobile simply shows records that the service is able to remove and allows users to start the removal process in one click.

Like DeleteMe, DeleteMe Mobile scours the Internet and assists with the removal of personal information from some of the largest U.S.-based people search databases. DeleteMe Mobile subscribers find an average of more than eight unwanted profiles on these sites. Since all searchable records are displayed in a single dashboard, removing and monitoring private information listed on multiple websites is easy. The free version of DeleteMe Mobile offers users one free record removal. Users may sign up for three months of service for $24.99, which includes removal of all published records shown on DeleteMe Mobile and access to Abine's team of privacy experts.

Data brokers have access to a wealth of personal information, including estimated net worth, religious and political affiliations, children's names, websites visited, articles read, and photos posted of consumers and their families. This information is available to employers, insurance companies, and individuals willing to pay a small fee. Such practices leave individuals susceptible to inaccuracies that can result in damaging assumptions about a person's history, reputation, and character. It can also be dangerous or even life-threatening for those targeted by stalkers or abusers, and people working in a vulnerable field, like law enforcement. Both the Federal Trade Commission and members of Congress, most recently led by Senator Rockefeller in October 2012, have stepped up investigations of data brokers and their use of personal data. Eighty percent of consumers feel that it is important to be able to opt out of the distribution and sale of personal information, or delete the information that data brokers collect (TrustedID, 2012).

"Many data brokers make it confusing, difficult, and time-consuming for consumers to remove their information from being sold, and current laws and regulations do not offer enough protection from its harmful effects," said Bill Kerrigan, Abine CEO.  "Online privacy should be simple. That's why we've created privacy solutions that give people the means to regain and manage their personal privacy simply and effectively. With DeleteMe Mobile, we are giving peace of mind to the many people who increasingly rely on mobile devices as their primary way to go online."

When DeleteMe Mobile is used in conjunction with Abine's other privacy tools, like DoNotTrackMe, consumers can keep their digital footprints cleaner by preventing the re-accumulation of personal data due to online tracking. DoNotTrackMe is a free browser add-on that lets you browse the Internet as you normally would, while blocking hundreds of trackers.

DeleteMe Mobile is available today as a free download for iPhone and iPad users from the Apple App Store.

About Abine
Abine provides consumers with online privacy solutions that are innovative, easy to use, and work for everyday web users. With proven tools, Abine enables people to both benefit from the Web and retain control over their personal information. Abine is backed by premier venture capital firms Atlas Venture and General Catalyst Partners. Abine: The Online Privacy Company™. Abine.com.

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SOURCE Abine, Inc.