Opt-Out Tuesday: How to remove your info from FamilyTreeNow
People search sites collect your information from publicly available sources and offer it to anyone interested, including thieves and scammers. There are countless sites like this. So, how do you protect your data? You need to remove it.
In this edition of my Opt-Out Tuesday series, let’s remove your data from FamilyTreeNow.
Avoid people search sites at all costs, especially if it costs you
Don’t ever pay for any people search service. Most of these sites are scammy in nature. You may think you’re paying for one report and find that you’ve been roped into recurring charges.
When you go to opt out, be careful which links you click. The buttons on these sites are often ads that lead you to another site that requests payment.
Do you have older relatives who may not know about these sites? While you’re opting out yourself, why not do the same for them? Just type in their information as you would your own, and follow our steps to completion.
PSA: There’s an easier way
Below I’ll give you the steps to remove yourself from FamlyTreeNow, but that’s just one of hundreds of such sites. If you want to knock them all out in one go, check out Incogni.
Incogni does all that hard work for you. It took me three minutes to go through the sign-up process, then they get to work removing you from 180+ sites. You don’t have to lift a finger after that initial setup. So great.
I have a special deal just for you. Right now, get 60% off an annual subscription using code KIM60.
Not very family-friendly
Tracing your genealogy was all the rage a few years ago, and business is still booming for sites like Ancestry and 23andMe. However, the rise of data breaches and loose privacy practices have hopefully made people more careful about where they share their information.
Looking for a long-lost relative? Try these steps to find them
As many as 23% of American children live without at least one parent. The good news: in our internet world, finding them is easier than it would have been in the past.
Depending on your circumstances, you might be able to set out on an investigative journey yourself. Where should you begin when searching for estranged or missing family members? Here are the steps to finding long-lost relatives.
How to do a free background check online
Suppose a new guy moves into your neighborhood. Let’s call him Bobby Smith. Before his moving van is even unpacked, Bobby introduces himself. He’s friendly and good-humored, and he says you should come over for a barbecue sometime. So you decide to find out more about him — his career, his past, anything suspicious.
Get a copy of your or a loved one's military records
If your parents are no longer alive, probably not a day goes by that you don’t miss them. I know — I feel that about my father. During the Korean War, he served in the Army and later worked as a management employee for United Airlines.
How to research your family tree without paying a dime
With the advent of DNA testing and various web-based companies using this technology to delve into ancestry, more and more people are researching their genealogical backgrounds.
But some companies that use DNA to trace family trees have been found to be not so reliable when it comes to protecting your data. In fact, one of the most well-known ancestry companies was sold to a private equity firm. Tap or click here to find out how to remove your data from this shady site.
If you used this ancestry site, remove your data now
Genealogy websites have become increasingly popular in recent years. These platforms are able to scour the web in search of documents and archival data, which can help users build historically accurate family trees.
There’s also another side to genealogy websites that has attracted attention from privacy advocates: DNA testing. Websites like Ancestry.com can use DNA testing to find matches, but the fact that these platforms store this information on their end means that hackers could try and steal it. Tap or click here to see how Ancestry.com suffered a huge data breach.
Meet your WWII ancestors for free this Memorial Day weekend
Memorial Day is our national day of remembrance for America’s fallen service members. The weekend isn’t all about grilling and shopping. It’s also a day to reflect on our freedom and those who have sacrificed their lives for it.