Opt Out to Protect Your Privacy and Identity

The World Privacy Forum has posted their Top Ten Opt Outs which I recommend you all review. If you think the Do Not Call Registry is a great idea you’ll be excited to learn what else is available.

I know many of you are concerned about using your credit card online but you might also want to protect what information the credit card company shares(sells) about you.

According to the FDIC:

Unless you opt out, your financial company can provide your personal financial information (for example, information on the kinds of stores you shop at, how much you borrow, your account balances, or the dollar value of your assets) to non-affiliates for marketing and other purposes.
Contact your credit card company to opt-out(4)

Top Ten Opt Outs

• 1. National Do Not Call Registry
  
  Do Not Call opt out does not stop you from being called by anyone you have done business with in the last 18 months. If you make an inquiry of a merchant, the merchant can call you for six months. Charities and politicians are not covered by the Do Not Call list rules.


• 2. Prescreened offers of credit and insurance
  
  Credit bureaus may also sell information about you to lenders and insurers who use the information to decide whether to send you unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. This is known as prescreening. You can opt out of receiving these prescreened offers by calling 1-888-567-8688.


• 3. DMA opt outs


• 4. Financial institution opt outs


• 5. CAN SPAM


• 6. Credit freeze


• 7. FERPA
  The FERPA opt out stops schools from releasing student directory information (Name, home address, date of birth, and other information) without consent, with some limitations.


• 8. Data broker opt outs


• 9. Internet portal opt outs


• 10. NAI opt out