Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Does ZabaSearch Make Your Private Information Public?

Personal information and privacy on the internet can be a sticky issue – and ZabaSearch is just one of many public-records search engines available online. There are concerns that ZabaSearch shares information that most people just don't want shared. The results you get from ZabaSearch aren't always accurate, though.

Source for this article: Does ZabaSearch make your private information public By Personal Money Store

How Zabasearch gets its information

Public records searches all operate pretty much the same – Spokeo, ZabaSearch, or others. The program behind ZabaSearch crawls through public records to compile information. When you put a name in Zabasearch, the computer program returns the results that it has compiled. Basic search results are provided for free, and extended search results are available for a fee.

What does ZabaSearch compile for its information?

A basic ZabaSearch search pulls up the address and phone number for the names typed in. If a customer pays for a Zabasearch report, they can get information that ranges from tax resolution records to average home value in the area. Intelius is the company name that paid Zabasearch results are paid through.

Could you remove your information from ZabaSearch?

It can be eye-opening to see all your public information in one area. While information such as this has been public for years, the fact it is so easy to find is relatively new. The information ZabaSearch returns is not always even 50 percent accurate. The Zabasearch program doesn't have any person employed to "connect the dots" on public records. For example, having two different names on public information records – such as "John Doe" in one place and "John A. Doe" in another – will create two records. Opting-out of ZabaSearch is not necessarily easy, because the service relies on publicly available information. While ZabaSearch does allow you to “opt-out” by faxing them your proof of identity, there are other search engines that do the same thing. You have to request your public records be legally sealed in order to remove your information from all public records searches.



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