Background Alert Opt Out & Data Removal Guide
Background Alert requires a photo, scan, photocopy, or facsimile of your ID to “confirm your identity” and, also, somehow, “for your protection.” We strongly advise you not to send images of any form of ID to this company.
Our step-by-step opt-out instructions will help you get around Background Alert’s requirement to upload an image of your ID. Check out our other guides to get your data out of the hands of some of the largest data brokers in the industry.
Opt-out process: 5–15 minutes
Removal Requirements: Email
Updated: October 14, 2022
How to opt out of Background Alert and remove your info?
In short:
- Search for your listing at http://www.backgroundalert.com/optout
- Select your record from the search results. Click on “that’s me”
- Enter your email address and click “NEXT”
- “Confirm your identity”, but don’t upload your ID
- Check your inbox and confirm your opt-out request
- Click on “Confirm Opt-out”
Keep reading for the full opt out procedure with screenshots.
Want to learn more about data broker removal? We wrote ~85 data broker opt out guides. Check them out and remove your data.
Removing your data doesn’t have to be complicated
It’s easy for data brokers to find and sell your most sensitive information. Taking your data off the market should be just as easy! For just $6.49 per month, Incogni sends out hundreds of recurring opt-out requests*.
Don’t waste any more time opting out one by one. Let us deal with data brokers, so you don’t have to!
Use DATA-REMOVAL-APR at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
Step-by-step Background Alert opt-out guide
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Search for your listing at http://www.backgroundalert.com/optout
Go to www.backgroundalert.com/optout. Enter your full name, select your state from the dropdown menu, and click on “search.”
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Select your record from the search results. Click on “that’s me”
Scroll through the records until you find the listing that matches your full name, age, and address history. Click on “that’s me” once you’ve found it.
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Enter your email address and click “NEXT”
Type in your email address and click “next.”
TIP: Use a throwaway email account or masked email address to protect your privacy when dealing with data brokers. If you don’t have one yet, we reviewed disposable email services in this article.
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“Confirm your identity”, but don’t upload your ID
You’ll have to upload or send something to complete the process, but we strongly recommend against sending your ID documents to a company like this. According to Background Alert’s responses to the many complaints on the Better Business Bureau website, your request should be approved without an ID attached.
Instead, upload any other image file or use the image below. Then click “next.”
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Check your inbox and confirm your opt-out request
Background Alert will send you a verification email to the address you provided above. Open the email and click on “confirm opt-out.”
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Click on “Confirm Opt-out”
That’s it—job done! Background Alert promises to remove your personal data within 7 days of verifying your ID, but they don’t say when they’ll verify your ID. The good news is that our records were removed immediately with no ID uploaded—suggesting that the process is automated and images aren’t checked.
7) Continue your data removal journey
Don’t stop here, though. Background Alert is just one of an estimated 4,000 data brokers operating worldwide. Hundreds of them could be profiting from your personal data right now, putting you at greater risk in the process.
Curious about which ones? Type your name into a search engine and you’ll probably see a fair few people search sites show up. These are obviously a concern, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
There are other data brokers that don’t make your personal data available to search engines, preferring to buy, sell, and trade it behind the scenes. Look into data brokers known to operate in your area to create a list of likely suspects.
Follow our other opt-out guides to help you on this journey or start from these 10 guides:
- NJ parcels Opt Out
- Radaris Opt Out
- Innovis Opt Out
- Public Records Now Opt Out
- Background Alert Opt Out
- Addresses.com Opt Out
- AnyWho Opt Out
- WhitePages Premium Opt Out
- GoLookUp Opt Out
- Delete Ancestry account data
- Zoominfo Opt Out
- Intelius Opt Out
- MyLife.com Opt Out
- Instant Checkmate Opt Out
- Spokeo Opt Out
- PeopleLooker Opt Out
- Search People Free Opt Out
- PeekYou Opt Out
- FamilyTreeNow Opt Out
You know what to do next—opt-out of each and every broker on your lists. If you don’t have the time or patience to do this but still value your privacy, try Incogni. Our automated data removal service will handle everything on your behalf.
Watch the video guide
Take your data off PSS and hundreds* of data brokers with Incogni
Your data is worth more than oil in the digital age and data brokers are making bank at your expense.
Subscribe to Incogni for just $6.49 per month and get:
- A fully automated data removal service
- Recurring removal from 159+ data brokers
- Regular progress reports
Use DATA-REMOVAL-APR at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
FAQ
What is Background Alert?
Background Alert is a data broker site that offers its customers people search and non-FCRA compliant background check services. This data broker boasts sharing personal information like criminal records, arrest records, and phone numbers.
Even a free search will immediately reveal your age, address history, and a list of links to your “related persons.” It gets worse: having your information removed from Background Alert is a risky process in its own right.
Related: How to deal with incorrect information on background check reports
