The World Wide Web has information at your fingertips, and now your personal information may be much easier for others to see. "It's kind of scary because I know they did not subscribe to this. they're putting people's information up there when they didn't ask them," Augusta State University student Lauren Penha said.
It's on a website called Spokeo.com. It pulls personal information from other websites, and lists your phone number, your address, how much your house is worth and even a picture of your house. "If you have a pretty high property value, I think you'd be a pretty good target," Penha said.
Some people like Penha say all that information listed on one site may make it easier for criminals or stalkers. She says her name is not listed, but information about her parent is there. "I typed in my dad's name and it gives the addresses of places that we lived 10 years ago, and it's extremely accurate."
You can remove your information from Spokeo's website, but experts say Spokeo is just one of many websites that hold your public information.
"They're not verifying the information. They're just collecting it and posting it so you can read it for a fee, so the accuracy is not being verified. So, if employers are using this as a resource, they might be getting inaccurate information," said Damon Armour, a security technology security officer.
Attorneys say Spokeo is not doing anything illegal because all that information is public record, and there would only be legal implications if the site posted private information like your Social Security number or your bank account.
"It shows my age, my hobbies, my parent's income, where I live. it's just crazy that is just mind-blowing. I feel terribly invaded," Augusta State University student Chelsea Robinson said.
The site says it gets the information from phone books, marketing surveys, real estate listings and social networks. If you want to remove your information from Spokeo, you'll have to click the privacy button at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions.
