Spokeo: People Search & Background Check Website 79

Spokeo is a personal information background check website in the United States. It collects data from public sources such as social media, phone directories, real estate records, and shopping websites, and compiles background information about a person for users. Users can look up another person's background using information such as name, phone number, address, or email. The website integrates data from over 50 online and offline sources, and the generated reports include contact details, social media profiles, criminal records (if any), and more. It also offers a mobile app that supports reverse phone number lookup.

Spokeo was originally a tool for aggregating social networks, designed to solve the problem of users having difficulty keeping track of friends' updates scattered across various platforms. Later, with the rise of social platforms like Facebook, it transformed into a people search website that provides contact information and other services. Along the way, it encountered some setbacks: in 2012, it was fined $800,000 by the Federal Trade Commission for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act when providing employment screening information to human resources departments, and was required to submit compliance reports to the agency for 20 consecutive years; a class action lawsuit filed in 2010 was resolved through mediation in 2019.

Spokeo Main Features:

• Search Methods: Supports lookup by name, phone, address, email, username, etc.

• Report Contents: Includes basic personal information, associated contact details, social accounts, possible relatives and neighbors, property records, criminal and sex offender records (if any), etc.

• Mobile App: Supports reverse phone lookup, helping identify unknown callers.

Spokeo Main Uses:

• Finding lost friends or family members

• Background Checks: For example, learning basic information about a counterpart before foreign trade transactions, renting an apartment, or hiring

• Identity Verification: For example, confirming who owns a particular phone number or email address

• Protecting Personal Privacy and Safety: Reverse-searching who might be looking you up

Information Provided by Spokeo Includes:

• Basic Information: Name, age, gender

• Contact Details: Phone numbers, email addresses

• Address Information: Current and historical residential addresses

• Family Information: Family members, possible relative relationships

• Career and Educational Background

• Social Media Profiles

• Property and Asset Information (such as real estate records)

• Public Records (such as court records, voter registration, etc.)

Spokeo Pricing:

• Starting Price: The basic plan is approximately $7.95/month, with high-volume plans going up to $119.95/month.

• Trial and Renewal: A trial period is offered, but if not actively canceled, it will auto-renew according to the selected plan; all services require "prepayment," and after cancellation, the current period remains usable, with no refunds for fees already paid.

How to Remove Personal Information from Spokeo?

If you do not want your information to appear on Spokeo, you can try to remove it by following these steps:

1. Visit Spokeo's personal information removal page

2. Search for your own information (you may need to provide name, address, phone, etc.)

3. Once you find your profile, follow the instructions for identity verification

4. After completing verification, apply to have your information removed from the Spokeo database

Important Notes:

Data Sources: Spokeo's information all comes from open internet resources; it does not collect private or non-public data itself.

Privacy Concerns: The platform can display a large amount of personal information, which has sparked controversy over personal privacy protection. Many users worry about information being misused.

Legal Compliance: In the United States, such services typically operate within legal limits, but using this information for harassment, fraud, or other illegal activities is strictly prohibited.

Subscription Model: Viewing detailed information usually requires registering an account and paying for a subscription.