My personal data has been leaked several times - this service helped clean it all up

ZDNET staff writer Cesar Cadenas, a victim of eight separate data breaches including the Under Armour (2025) and ParkMobile (2021) leaks, put the data removal service DeleteMe to the test. The service, developed by privacy company Abine, automates the tedious process of scrubbing personal information from the web. It systematically scans over 100 data broker sites and search engines like Google for exposed details—including addresses, phone numbers, and emails—and submits removal requests on the user's behalf. While it's possible to manually opt-out from each site, DeleteMe handles the repetitive, time-consuming work and provides ongoing monitoring to combat new exposures.

During the test, DeleteMe identified over 30 listings of Cadenas's personal information across various brokerages and successfully removed the majority. The service requires users to create a detailed 'Data Sheet' with personal history, which privacy experts then use to locate records. It earned a 4/5 rating from ZDNET for its effectiveness and ease of use, though some features are locked behind higher subscription tiers, and it cannot remove all data types (like certain court records). The core value proposition is persistent, automated defense against the sprawling data broker industry, which profits from collecting and selling personal details often leaked in corporate breaches.