Opt Out: MelonCard Can Help

Do you ever wonder where or how the information shared on social networks is collected? Even if you avoid social networks, there are still countless ways companies are collecting, indexing and selling information about you. This information is accessibile and easy to distribute. Unfortunately there is very little oversight of this data and without doing some research, you may assume that your data is safe. Wrong.


Cha-ching. That is the sound of companies making lots of cash selling our data everyday. The tidbits of our lives are valuable, and there are plenty of companies collecting it and selling it without your permission or knowledge. Please do not misunderstand, I don't mind my data being collected when companies disclose their intent. The burn is that consumers are not offered disclosure and cannot even view the information being sold without paying for it. 

Have you ever checked your profile from "information brokers" like Acxiom, Intelius, PeopleFinders, PrivateEye and dozens more?  The details of your marital/divorce history, bankruptcy filings, credit and purchase history, social network profile data are all being bought and sold without your consent.

You could argue that you should not have shared the data to begin with, but it is nearly impossible to avoid a data footprint. Even if you are savvy enough to guard your privacy and read all of the fine print, your data is still being bought and sold without your knowledge. Facebook accounts are compromised, databases are hacked and identity theft has become easier in the information age. There is a big business in sharing your data, even when you have not "opted in".

I recently discovered MelonCard - odd name, yes, but great idea:
MelonCard shows you who has your information, and lets you remove it.

It makes cleaning up your online data a streamlined, centralized process. Am I safe now? I doubt it, but I am safer. Check out Meloncard, and let me know what you think.