Suppression
Hiding a record from public view while retaining it internally.
In more detail
Several people-search sites describe their process as suppression rather than deletion. The record persists in their database; it simply stops being displayed. That is why suppressed listings so often reappear after a data refresh.
Why it matters to you
Suppression explains the single most common complaint about this industry: it worked, and then three months later it did not. Nothing was deleted, so nothing had to be re-added.
What to do
Assume suppression rather than deletion and plan for re-verification. This is the entire argument for continuous monitoring over one-off removal.
- Opt out
Asking a company not to sell or share your data — which is weaker than asking it to delete it.
- Data broker
A company that collects personal information about people it has no relationship with, and sells it.
- People-search site
A consumer-facing website that publishes a searchable profile of a named individual.