Intelius Opt-Out
Table of Contents
What Does Intelius Do?
Intelius is a public access information provider; interested parties can submit basic information about a target and receive a long list of associated data in return. From a name, individuals can discover a lot about their neighbors, like their criminal records, phone numbers, and known relationships. Intelius collects data from users who use or visit their site and public databases.
Information Needed to Opt-Out of Intelius
It costs nothing to opt out of having your data shared; it's a right promised by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, although Intelius is not a consumer credit reporter. There are no special requirements for opting out of Intelius. However, the online procedures (below) are completed faster with immediate access to an email.
Intelius Opt-Out Preliminaries
Intelius has a significant impact on those within its database. The Intelius privacy policy has a 14-point list of "inclusions" regarding how they use the data they collect (section 2:2); some of these uses naturally include research, development, and verification purposes.
The information gathered by Intelius is also shared or sold to affiliates, providers, and third parties. The user may have had their information exposed to other corporations or business entities. The user must contact the individual businesses to exercise their opt out rights.
The following section offers a detailed guide to opting out of Intelius. Five procedures are available to the consumer, each is a single path toward opting out. It is unnecessary to complete all paths, as they are equally effective once confirmed.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Opting-Out of Intelius
Call Intelius' Consumer Support
For some, calling the Intelius helpline is the fastest avenue to opting out. Consumers can call Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm PST; those times are important because the support staff is live. Calling outside of these hours (or on holiday) will lead the consumer to a voice mail option, and a strong suggestion to call back during business hours. Reach their support team by calling 1-(888)-245-1655.
Since there is no automated menu, consumers must understand the nuances of their request; a conflation of words may result in unsubscribing or limiting one's data rather than opting out. The differences between the terms are significant, as they reference different aspects of your information (and rights).
The specific jargon used by the consumer impacts the representative's actions. You'll be removed from their emailing lists if you say "unsubscribe me" from Intelius. Instead, say, "I want to remove my name from Intelius' data sharing"; you'll end up closer to the goal and have more room to avoid special offers. Alternatively, pick another opt out option, and you'll evade the voice-to-voice experience.
Send an Email to the Intelius Privacy Team
Alternatively, consumers have the choice to email the privacy team directly. The ability to email Intelius directly for an opt out is stated in their privacy policy (section 3); however, there is no indication of the specifics needed to trigger a valid suppression request. The shot below has the relevant bit highlighted:
Thankfully, the privacy policy offers a bit more information at the end of it, in the "Verification and Appeal Process". This section speaks to Intelius' reserves the right to reject or dismiss a suppression or data changing request. The passage also indicates what they consider "verifying" information:
Using information from the two screenshots above, we can create an email likely to be approved for suppression. Paste the following text into the respective spaces, then interchange the highlighted parts with real information.
Send to Email: privacy@intelius.com
Subject: Remove Information from Intelius, Request
Mail Body:
Hello,
My name is [Full name]. I am requesting that my information and data associated with me no longer be shared by Intelius. I want to exercise my privacy rights by opting out of Intelius' sharing or selling to affiliates, providers, and third parties. I understand this does not opt me out of other companies, and I must approach them individually to opt out of them. Please have an agent complete my request and send confirmation.
Consumer Information:
- Full Name: [Full name and any known aliases or misspellings on record]
- Email Addresses: [All associated emails, including this one]
- Phone Numbers: [Recorded phone numbers or registered products]
- Property Address: [Mailing and business addresses are helpful]
- Additional Information: [Any other relevant information or reference IDs]
Please begin my request immediately or contact me for further information.
Thank you,
[Full name]
[Date]
Mail Your Suppression Request to Intelius
For those needing a more secure method, there is always the option to mail the request to the Intelius offices physically. Consumers can send the offices their letters or copy the email above. Paste the email into a text application, and you can change the highlighted pieces for your data.
Slap the following address into the top left corner of your letter, with the date above it. Add more space between the farewell and your name, too. You'll write your signature within this space, so give yourself plenty of room. When ready to send your request, send it to San Diego, California:
Intelius
Attn: Privacy
501 W. Broadway St., Suite 800
San Diego, CA 92101
Request Suppression with an In-Browser Quick Form
The quickest way to request the suppression of information is using Intelius' in-browser quick form. Notably, however, this quick form stops Intelius from sharing consumer information with affiliates; it does not stop consumer information from appearing in search results. Users can access the form by going to the Intelius Privacy Center and scrolling down.
Step One:
The section is entitled "Right to Opt Out" and has a drop-down bar, a fillable bar, and a "Save Preference" button. Select the drop-down and set it to "DO NOT Share user data". Then, enter an accessible email and click the button.
The page will automatically return confirmation of the preference request:
Depending on how much information Intelius has, they will send an automated response to the previously entered email. The email response below regards an email not yet known to the database, so there wasn't anything to suppress. The system considers it a completed request anyway.
Access the PeopleConnect Suppression Center
If consumers want to remove their public information from Intelius' search results, they'll need the Suppression Center. If you opt out of PeopleConnect's Suppression Center, you're simultaneously opting out of all other affiliates. The process is detailed below. To start, open the link above in a new tab and click the button.
Step One:
A new page will populate after clicking the "Manage Suppression Rules" button. This is the first page of the Suppression Center. Enter an accessible email address, then check the Terms box on the left before clicking "Continue".
The portal will update automatically and display a prompt to view your email. We'll follow a series of confirmation steps, starting with the email.
Step Two:
Open the email sent by peopleconnect.us, and you'll find a large button in the center of the message. It displays "Verify Email" across it, click it, and a new tab should open in your browser.
Step Three:
The new page is entitled "Date of Birth" and warns the info cannot be changed once entered. Click on the calendar icon on the right to open a mini calendar. Once the date is filled out, check the Verification box on the left, then "Continue".
Step Four:
The next page is titled "Legal Name". Enter the consumer's first and last name, at least. There is also a link to "add another name" if you have others. Check the Legal Name box on the left and the "Continue" when ready.
Step Five:
The wizard will launch an internal search and gather possible records associated with the submitted data. Some of the information is likely incorrect, that doesn't change the opt out process. When the correct record is found, click the white circle to the left. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Continue".
Step Six:
If the previously entered email is known to the database, the user will receive the following "Verified" status. If the email is unknown, the user will be asked to complete a secondary verification process; the process will involve a one-time token and a known phone number. Click on "Continue" to proceed.
Step Seven:
The wizard will change again, showing "Control". The drop-down bar currently reads "Displayed". Select it and pick "Suppressed" instead. When ready, click the "Save" button.
Step Eight:
Refresh the page, and it should be slightly different. If the process is successful, the drop-down will still read "Suppressed", and so will the identity configuration (in bold).
Double-Check that the Records Were Removed
After making a suppression request, double-check the confirmation before walking away. Those who opt out of using the official wizard should see immediate results. Consumers should check their information annually once confirmation of the suppression is apparent. This guide is up to date with the current opt out solutions provided by Intelius' privacy policy (2023).
