BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DeleteMe, a privacy leader that helps government employees, corporate employees, and individuals monitor and remove exposed, easy-to-find personal information, recently announced that it is working to increase protections against malicious actors directly contacting voters with disinformation in the form of texts, emails, and robocalls.
Election disinformation has been increasing steadily ahead of November. Due to the growing presence of AI bots and deepfakes, scams have become significantly more difficult to recognize and combat. Political deepfakes can fool two in five voters and disproportionately target at-risk voters and marginalized groups. This is now a matter of national concern as U.S. intelligence agencies warn that political misinformation is often the work of foreign entities that may be seeking to disrupt or influence the presidential election.
Data brokers, which aggregate and sell large quantities of personal information, provide malicious actors with access to detailed voter profiles and contact information. These sites make it easier for foreign entities to spread disinformation, primarily through emails and text messaging. According to DeleteMe’s research, approximately half of all people’s exposed personal information can be discovered from sites available in the first two pages of a Google search. Most of these online profiles contain an average of five to six pieces of identifiable information, including current residence, phone number, family members names, and, increasingly, email addresses and social media profile information.
By proactively removing voter data and personally identifiable information (PII) like phone numbers and email addresses from data brokers, DeleteMe aims to cut off a critical supply chain of information that fuels disinformation efforts, ensuring that voters can make informed decisions without interference.
“Election disinformation is rampant, and it’s not always easy to recognize,” said Rob Shavell, CEO and founder of DeleteMe. “The best option here is to prevent disinformation from reaching its intended targets in the first place, and that won’t be possible as long as data brokers are continuing to share contact information with whoever is willing to pay. That’s why we’re focusing on protecting voters ahead of the elections this year.”
About DeleteMe
DeleteMe is the industry leader in personal data protection and the creator of the Privacy-as-a-Service industry category. With over 100 million individual pieces of data removed since 2009, DeleteMe serves at the forefront of the personal data-removal domain. The company's core mission is to simplify the process of managing personal data online, ensuring that individuals and businesses can minimize risks to cybersecurity and personal safety.
Media contact:
Daniela Davila
Daniela@intelligentrelations.com
