You Should Remove Your Information From the Rebooted National Public Data Site
In the never-ending stream of hacks and data leaks, it’s virtually guaranteed that at least some of your personal data is available online. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps to remove or protect it wherever possible, including from databases that have previously been hacked.
National Public Data, a background check company operated by Jerico Pictures Inc., suffered a massive attack in early 2024 that resulted in the leak of billions of records containing data (obtained from proprietary sources) such as Social Security numbers.
The site has since returned under new management as a “free people search engine,” and while it ostensibly uses publicly available information, you can still (and should) remove your data. At the very least, it means one less place for people to easily find your address, phone number, and other personal information.
What happened to national public data?
Last year, National Public Data was hacked by a group known as USDoD, which subsequently released a reported 2.7 billion stolen records containing sensitive data from U.S., U.K., and Canadian citizens. Jerico Pictures Inc. became the target of multiple class-action lawsuits and subsequently filed for bankruptcy, after which it shut down National Public Data.
As PCMag reports , the site recently resurfaced and still bears the name National Public Data, though it is now registered to Perfect Privacy LLC, a Florida company that provides anonymous domain registration services. A page describing the security breach is still available .
National Public Data now lets you search databases that cover everything from bankruptcy records to criminal records to voter registration. According to the About Us page, this includes “federal, state, and local governments, social media pages, property ownership databases, and other trusted platforms.” You can enter a name, city, and state to find information about a person, as long as they’re on a list that National Public Data has access to.
How to remove your records from national public data
Even if the information collected by National Public Data is publicly available somewhere , you should still opt out of having your data included in the site’s search. The reloaded site allows you to remove your information via an opt-out form .
All you have to do is find your profile on the homepage of the site, copy the URL, paste it into the opt-out form and click the “Request Removal” button. You will then be asked to provide your email address and confirm the request.