Spokeo.com WTF!?!?!

[Racket_Man]

put in my full name (with middle initial) and go three hits. one was not me (different middle initial) and of the two legit entires one was an apt that I have not lived at for 10 years and the other I am not sure why it listed me at that particular address since I have NEVER lived there (possibly worked at that address not sure how that would be in the public record).

It also "speculates" that my parents live (both now deceased) live in the same area which is 300 miles away from where they actually lived.

[Plaidman]

put in my full name (with middle initial) and go three hits. one was not me (different middle initial) and of the two legit entires one was an apt that I have not lived at for 10 years and the other I am not sure why it listed me at that particular address since I have NEVER lived there (possibly worked at that address not sure how that would be in the public record).

It also "speculates" that my parents live (both now deceased) live in the same area which is 300 miles away from where they actually lived.

Highly possible the second address you never lived at just happened to have the same name as you. Happened to Sarah Connor.

[protege]

Now that's creepy. But, the address that it lists for me...I haven't lived there for 5 years, and I don't know about the rest of you...if you want more info about me, you'll have to pay for it. Otherwise, that info is unavailable.

[Cats]

A ton of that information is WAY outdated. I searched for a few of my family members, my dad included, and they still have one of our old addresses listed with his name...we moved out of that house OVER 20 YEARS AGO. It has my mom (his wife) listed as HIS mom and in her 90's (no idea where that crap came from, his real mother is only in her 80's), but yet a search for her turns up nothing.

I can understand the initial shock, but like has been said, all that information is public and they're not doing anything wrong. The only thing really scary to me about it is just how inaccurate it is.

[Bronzebow]

Wow people are paranoid. Like others have said this is all public information that you put out on the internet yourself. Besides the information seems to be off for quite a few people. This isn't an invasion of privacy, it's simply gathering information that was already available and putting it in one place.

You say that like paranoia is a bad thing, or like people honestly should not be distressed after learning about these kinds of data mining projects... Paranoia has its purpose in helping you protect yourself. People have a right and a responsibility to be paranoid when they learn about stuff like this. It's frightening when you see it for the first (or even fifth) time, whether or not it's all public information or not, whether it's a legit invasion of privacy or not.

That being said, our first few "connected" generations are going to learn a very hard lesson about internet privacy. They are going to learn a tough truth that what is on the internet will stay on the internet. With any hope, they will learn well and teach their kids the same internet savvy lessons we teach now about how to interact with the physical world and other people.

I've heard many people claim that the internet makes privacy a thing of the past. I completely disagree with that assessment. I think that privacy is exactly a result of how much effort we put into it. The only thing the internet does in that regard is make the drive to the library/city hall unnecessary with info that was public to begin with. Our info being public is an issue we would have to take up with our representatives, not spokeo and its ilk. I think we will eventually learn as a society , but the cost will be high for us first 'explorers.'

[guywithashovel]

A co-worker showed me this site a few months ago. I thought it was both cool and scary at the same time.

The info on me wasn't entirely correct. It had me living at my parents' house, where I haven't lived for several years, for example. I was able to get a close up picture of my parents' house and my grandma's house, though. They were satellite pictures, but it was like someone just stood in front of the house and snapped a picture. The cars were in the driveway and everything. I was able to scroll through the neighborhood and see pictures of all the other houses, too.

[KnitShoni]

The only thing really scary to me about it is just how inaccurate it is.

One of the two entries for me has me listed as an unmarried male at my current address. The other lists me as being of unspecified gender at an address I lived at 12 years ago, before I got married (it's under my married name, though...). My husband is listed as living at his parents' house (He hasn't lived there for 17 years), and has what look to be 2 entries each for mother in law and father in law at the same address.

[Andara Bledin]

You say that like paranoia is a bad thing, or like people honestly should not be distressed after learning about these kinds of data mining projects...

Paranoia is bad when it gets past a certain point. Where that point is is up for debate.

However, these data aggregation sites are nothing ominous, nor are they anything new. They've been around for at least the last 5 years. Have you ever done a search of an online white pages site and had a paid ad offering to get you more info? Same exact deal, only they gave less away for free.

This is just a more in-your-face example of how the Internet is forever and all public records are now online.

As I said before, I'm actually surprised at how much about me they don't have. I've been posting information about who I am and how to find me since I got online, and it's still missing stuff. I'd be more irritated if it wasn't so consistently inaccurate and out of date.

^-.-^

[blas87]

There's a website that for free, you can look up some basics on people, for a monthly cost, you can do full background checks (supposedly).

Beenverified.com, I think is the site. I did the free version of myself. According to them, I'm 28 years old and still live with my parents and brother. And they are only "possible relatives".........so yeah, a bunch of bunk.

[Plaidman]

They were satellite pictures, but it was like someone just stood in front of the house and snapped a picture. The cars were in the driveway and everything. I was able to scroll through the neighborhood and see pictures of all the other houses, too.

It was by a car. It was a project the USA did a few years ago, to have a virtual map of the US from the street.

Some people sued, none really won. I think some people managed to get themselves erased from the pictures, as one had some guy in his underwear passed out in his front yard from drinking too much, and another caught a guy breaking and entering a place.

[muses_nightmare]

You say that like paranoia is a bad thing, or like people honestly should not be distressed after learning about these kinds of data mining projects... Paranoia has its purpose in helping you protect yourself. People have a right and a responsibility to be paranoid when they learn about stuff like this. It's frightening when you see it for the first (or even fifth) time, whether or not it's all public information or not, whether it's a legit invasion of privacy or not.

It can be a bad thing. Paranoia over something as inane as a website that gathers publicly available information is just stupid in my opinion (it's fine if you think it's something to be all "oo scary" about, but I don't think that way). It's not frightening to me at all because the information I saw was all stuff that I posted publicly online, I pretty much expect it to be seen by whoever.

I'd be paranoid if it was giving away actual personal information (and was, you know, correct), but it's simply pulling from websites that I've posted information for everyone to see. Hell my business e-mail doesn't even pull up my portfolio site, and that's under my full name. My full name doesn't pull anything up at all. The only thing that pulls anything up is my hotmail e-mail, which I use for sites like FB.

[Bronzebow]

It can be a bad thing. Paranoia over something as inane as a website that gathers publicly available information is just stupid in my opinion (it's fine if you think it's something to be all "oo scary" about, but I don't think that way). It's not frightening to me at all because the information I saw was all stuff that I posted publicly online, I pretty much expect it to be seen by whoever.

Can != always. Can != most times.

Yes, it may be inane for some people. Yes, it may only be the kind of info you can glean from the phone book. Yes, some people may overreact and go "oo scary." Yes, you may even expect to have your info broadcast around. Yes, you may not care, which seems to be common with younger generations right now for some unfortunate reason. But because of that, not everyone may be as fortunate to have incomplete, incorrect data.

That doesn't change what I said in the rest of that post, where seeing such info so freely available can be shocking and worrisome (especially if you have, say, a stalker), and that we are just now seeing people who grew up with the internet reaching adulthood. They're learning the hard way about exactly how accessible their info is, even for freaky things like salary. It's a game changer. We are going to have growing pains where the next generation will need to learn about proper information sharing. For these people, this needs to be a teachable moment for themselves and their children.

[Plaidman]

Your acting like a stalker would learn nothing and have nothing if it wasn't for that site. If you have a stalker, they'll learn just as much from that site as they would on facebook, or myspace, or paying for a background site, or just doing even a google search. So if you have a stalker? It this site gives them just as much information as was already out there.

[Bronzebow]

Your acting like a stalker would learn nothing and have nothing if it wasn't for that site. If you have a stalker, they'll learn just as much from that site as they would on facebook, or myspace, or paying for a background site, or just doing even a google search. So if you have a stalker? It this site gives them just as much information as was already out there.

I'm merely commenting on how it could be disturbing if one did, because it would be yet another easily accessible way to find your info. If you have a serious stalker, I'd imagine that would definitely be a time where paranoia is a double edged sword.

I have not and am not saying that people should be concerned or freak out about basic address/gender/marital status info being available for public consumption. My point, which you have yet again pointed out, is that our generation sucks when it comes to making their info private. It's going to bite them in the butt in a very bad way.

[muses_nightmare]

and I specifically said that it was my opinion. I wasn't putting my opinion into anyone else's mouth. You seem to have missed that point. I also never said that can means all the time or even most times, but frankly, I don't think paranoia is a good thing, I've seen a lot of it and in my experience it's usually unfounded.

Also, a stalker will find out information about you in whatever way they can, this site is basically just a phonebook with some internet information. Hell half of it is outright incorrect anyways (and the stuff that is incorrect, as some others have said here, are things like your location and address)

I'm not one to be overly concerned with this stuff. I had an instructor that showed us this site and he was one of the "oo scary" bunch, he also hated facebook with a passion. I'm not like that, basically if you're stupid and put information you don't want getting out online then that's your own fault. I put stuff online that I want people to see.

I have my home phone on my portfolio website, anyone can go and see it if they so choose. Should I be paranoid about random stalkers calling my house because of that?

Seeing this information shouldn't be shocking and worriesome in my opinion. It's simply information that someone could get through a google searcn, a public phone book, a 411 site, facebook, personal websites and professional websites. All stuff you post freely online. If someone is so concerned about it, maybe they shouldn't be online in the first place. I personally have no room for paranoia in my life, especially about stuff like this. It's pointless.