iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

73% of orgs report social engineering attacks are up in the past year. 78% have seen AI-generated phishing. 92% agree AI lets attackers personalize attacks better than ever. The threat model changed. Has your defense? (DeleteMe x 451 Research, 2026) More: bit.ly/4rzUwxg

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 11h

At 12, Ava Smithing was on Pinterest for tutorials on how to make slime. The platform knew she was a young girl. That one data point turned into a pipeline of harmful ads that didn't stop. That is Ava's history, but it is not where her story ends. Hear the rest: bit.ly/4zhdY4q

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Your feed isn't broken. It works as designed. Ava Smithing of the Young People's Alliance explained why. Algorithms track what holds your attention. Outrage, fear, and insecurity hold it best. Despite Meta's recent $17 billion settlement, that core problem stays. More: bit.ly/4zhdY4q

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The panopticon effect is when people change how they act simply because they believe someone, somewhere, is watching. Someone probably is. Your data sits out in the open for anyone who wants to find it. Reporter Daniel Boguslaw and host Beau Friedlander break it down: bit.ly/4dv4JFJ

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Romance scams follow a pattern: fast attention, big declarations, reasons to avoid meeting, then a sudden financial emergency. Reverse image search profile photos, insist on video calls, and never send money to someone you haven't met in person. Stay safe out there.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminder for leaders: protecting your systems starts with reducing your workforce's exposed personal data. Attackers use it to build convincing phishing attacks before they ever touch your network. Reduce your attackable surface: joindeleteme.com/business

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

You're being watched, but it's not the end of privacy just yet. On What the Hack, investigative reporter Daniel Boguslaw points out we're still in the early days of surveillance technology. There's still time to build stronger protections. Listen to the full conversation: bit.ly/4dv4JFJ

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

1,800+ breaches in six months. 471 million notices, already topping last year's total, per the ITRC. Only 24% of notices explain how it happened. You can't always stop a breach, but you can make your data less useful. Freeze credit, use passkeys, turn on MFA, and clear your info off broker sites.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Massachusetts is finalizing a data privacy law built on three ideas: collect only what's needed, ban selling sensitive data, and let consumers sue when companies break the rules. Privacy advocates say all three are needed to actually cut down on breaches and targeted scams.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A DMV breach exposed 200,000+ records. Root cause: one employee credential saved on a personal, unmanaged device. No platform flaw needed. CISOs, protect your people, not just your systems. Start with removing personal contact info from people search sites. joindeleteme.com/business

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The BBB received 146,000 scam reports in 2025. Investment and crypto scams topped the list and job scams ranked second. Scam texts are climbing fast, often built from exactly the kind of personal detail brokers and breaches leak. You can't stop every scam. You can shrink your digital footprint.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Great news for people who don't like Radaris! Yesterday, a judge ordered 14 of the domains owned by the data broker transferred to the plaintiff in a case brought against the company. All data brokers need to take that outcome seriously. Here's hoping we see a lot more of these kinds of rulings.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One teacher's opinion of your child could follow them for life. Case in point: DESSA asked teachers to rate every student's mood and behavior, including how each one "responds to feedback." On What the Hack, Shannon Edwards explains why that was a terrible idea: bit.ly/3VvyOhW

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Does edtech do more harm than good? On this week's episode of What the Hack, privacy advocate Shannon Edwards digs into how educational technology can expose students' sensitive data. The 2024 PowerSchool breach is exactly the kind of risk she warns about. More: bit.ly/3VvyOhW

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Big Tech wants you to feel unqualified to say no. You're not. In this episode of What the Hack, privacy advocate Shannon Edwards says stop letting Big Tech make you feel dumb about protecting your family's data. Trust your gut, not the "experts." Learn more: bit.ly/3VvyOhW

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Vishing, or voice phishing attacks, is increasingly the dominant vector of attack on organizations, per Mandiant's 2026 report. Verizon found employees are 40% more likely to fall for phone scams than emails. Train employees to recognize vishing. Reduce digital footprints: bit.ly/4xjftP3

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

GSX 2026 starts tomorrow. DeleteMe is at booth #3959 all three days with free exposure scans and live PII removal demos. Catch our session on executive exposure in the AI era. Ian Lee and Susan An from our team will be there. Come see your attack surface: bit.ly/4xKYO7j

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Using Claude on a free, Pro, or Max plan? Your chats can train future AI models by default, stored for up to five years. Turning it off takes a couple minutes in your privacy settings. Worth doing before you type anything personal into a chatbot. Full guide: bit.ly/4gFt3W9

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Companies know if you have nowhere else to turn. On What the Hack, the American Prospect's David Dayen and Consumer Reports' Grace Gedye break down how companies infer things like your location, mobility, or shopping options, then use that to charge you as much as possible. bit.ly/4cxe1QS

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

SCAM ALERT: Fake RingGo text claims you owe parking fees. When you reply "Y" on an iOS device, you unlock a malicious link. A cloned site grabs your credit card number and login information. Don't reply. Never click. Verify charges directly through the official app.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Pay extra just to stay anonymous? That's the trade-off online. This week on What the Hack, The American Prospect's David Dayen exlains surveillance pricing, what he calls a privacy tax, and how to opt out. #DataPrivacy #ConsumerProtection #DataBrokers #DeleteMeFull ep: bit.ly/4cxe1QS

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Heading to GSX in Atlanta? Stop by booth #3959 and get your free exposure scan and learn about some new research on executive exposure in the AI era we’re dropping exclusively at GSX. Click here for full info: joindeleteme.com/business/events/gsx

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

You aren't being charged the same for goods and services as everyone else. The reason? Data brokers. This week on What the Hack, the American Prospect's David Dayen explains how companies use your data to decide what you'll pay for goods and services. Hear more at bit.ly/4cxe1QS

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

AI phishing works because it sounds personal. The details often comes straight from data broker sites listing employee names, roles, and coworkers in public view. Remove that exposure to shrink the raw material AI uses to build convincing pretexts. Add it to the defense stack.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Is your grocery store a data broker? David Dayen says Kroger doesn't just collect your loyalty data; it sells it, building a "social graph" of you to shop around. Derek Kravitz and Grace Gedye of Consumer Reports weigh in too. Listen to What the Hack bit.ly/4x6iC3L

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Protecting kids online matters. Unfortunately, the SCREEN Act's answer to online safety risks is mass age verification tied to real identities, stored by third parties, with weak limits on use or retention. We need child safety laws that don't force everyone to give up their privacy to get there.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Same store. Same time. Same shopping list. Consumer Reports found nearly 3 in 4 Instacart items priced differently for shoppers side by side, a gap that can cost a family of four $1,200/year. What data sets your price? Part 2 of our surveillance pricing series: bit.ly/4x6iC3L

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Rhode Island recently passed an AI healthcare law in 43 words. It requires providers to tell patients when AI documents their visit and to check that documentation for accuracy after. There are 450+ other AI bills pending across the US. Watch this space, because it will change privacy forever.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Your address, phone number, and relatives are probably listed on Spokeo right now. Anyone can pay to see it. We updated our Spokeo opt-out guide because data brokers change their removal process constantly. Old instructions stop working fast. Read here: bit.ly/45XuqdC

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Same White Castle order, 300 feet apart. Inside a wealthy Minnesota zip code: $8 cheaper. Chris "The Producer" Parr describes testing it with a drone and DoorDash on What the Hack. Data brokers flag your location and companies use it against you. Part 1 of 3. Learn more: bit.ly/4hTXMB0

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Dynamic pricing changes for everyone. Surveillance pricing changes because of what a company knows about YOU. Consumer Reports' Grace Gedye and Chris "The Producer" Parr break it down on What the Hack. Part 1 of 3. Learn more: bit.ly/4hTXMB0

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

AI can infer your sexual orientation, political leanings, and ethnicity from your location history, searches, and app use. Privacy experts warn most state laws define what companies can collect, not what they conclude. One data point means little. Thousands together tell your story.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Meta let anyone turn your Instagram photos into AI images, opted in by default. Backlash forced them to pull it after four days. But downloads, AI training, and audio reuse are still on by default. One feature died. The risk didn't. Check your settings. bit.ly/4qbrqnc

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Two AI companies admitted their models hacked real businesses during safety tests. Call it a stunt if you want. The real risk is this: AI can piece together scattered personal data to find weak credentials fast. Your employees' exposed data is part of your attack surface.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

California's DROP is now in effect. One request, sent to hundreds of data brokers, opt-out style. Good news: it's live. Reality check: laws don't enforce themselves. Data brokers adapt fast. Pair opt-outs with ongoing monitoring, because your data resurfaces within weeks. bit.ly/3RQggaZ

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Black Hat and DEF CON 2026 had a lot of AI hype. Most of it was FUD. The real story: attackers use exposed personal data to build convincing impersonations, then skip straight to identity compromise. Focus on what actually reduces risk: joindeleteme.com/business

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

A US citizen says Border Patrol searched his phone and bags at the Atlanta airport, no warrant, no attorney allowed. He's now charged with wiping his device. Your phone holds your whole life. At the border, the Fourth Amendment has its own set of challenges. Know your rights and stay safe.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

One controversy can turn any employee into a target. Doxxing isn't rare anymore. Protecting your people means knowing how exposed they already are and acting before backlash hits, not after. Start here: joindeleteme.com/business

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Anna Nasset's stalker mailed letters to police departments and elected officials describing how she should die, but since he didn't address them to her or say he was going to follow through on those threats himself, no arrest followed. Fortunately, there's more to the story: bit.ly/4zv4bcj

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The average person's info sits on way more broker sites than they'd ever guess, increasing the risk of spam, scams, and other online threats. DeleteMe finds your listings, removes them, and keeps checking back. Sleep easier and take back control of your data online: joindeleteme.com

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

12% of successful scams in 2025 involved AI or deepfakes, per a new Gallup and Stop Scams Alliance survey. These scams work best with real personal data, the kind often sitting exposed on data broker sites. Less exposed data means AI has less to work with to imitate you.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

1 in 4 US adults have been scammed, with 15 million victims and $68B in losses in 2025 alone. Nearly 3 in 4 victims say it hurt their mental health. Scammers use personal info to seem convincing. Talk to vulnerable relatives, slow down, and remove your data online. joindeleteme.com

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Why do we believe strangers? It's complicated, and it's why smart people fall for scams. Cognitive scientist Daniel Simons explains why trust is a default and how scammers abuse it in this episode of What the Hack: bit.ly/4yRVF6R

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

August 6th is National Social Engineering Day and Day One of the Social Engineering Village at DEF CON. We're a proud sponsor. Attackers don't need malware when they can trick you using information readily available online. Data removal must be part of the defense. bit.ly/4frCQ2E

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Would you trust someone because they share your faith, job, or diagnosis? That's affinity fraud. Journalists Sarah Ganim and Karen Given break down Coco Berthmann's case on What the Hack. Most scammers aren't famous, but the famous ones tend to work from a similar playbook. bit.ly/4yRVF6R

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

We searched for 15 years too. Here's what we found: data brokers never really let go. They'll repost your info the moment you stop looking. That's why "removed" can't be a one-time event. Proactive removal and continuous monitoring wins every time: joindeleteme.com

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Why do smart people fall for scams? Apply pressure; force a fast decision, and nobody stops to ask questions. In this episode of What the Hack, cognitive scientist Daniel Simons breaks down why urgency beats judgment. Slow down. Hear more on our podcast: bit.ly/4yRVF6R

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Bloomberg Law just published a deep dive into data broker deletion requests. In 2024, brokers denied or ignored nearly 890,000 initial requests. This is why removal services matter. Don't assume a broker deletes your information just because you submit a form. More: bit.ly/4yP9i6H

news.bloomberglaw.com

Data Brokers Deny a Million Pleas to Delete Personal Information

Data brokers operating in California have denied or ignored more than 1 million requests in the past two years to delete personal information they collected from online users, according to a Bloomberg...

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Ancestry has 71B+ records and 148M family trees, now feeding AI models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, including facial recognition on your family photos. DNA and biometric data can't be changed like a password once it's out there. Think twice before you upload.

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DeleteMe @joindeleteme.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Walmart plans to install digital price tags in all 4,600 US stores. Critics worry they could enable surveillance pricing and personalize prices based on facial recognition or shopping history. Retailers call it hypothetical. Their track record on data says otherwise. More: bit.ly/4yJTBxx

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