BriefingGuides and explainers on personal data, opt-outs, public records and company research, newest first.
Public Records ExplainedData Privacy
Voter files: who gets your registration record, and how to limit it
What your voter registration record contains, who can get a copy in your state, what you can keep off it, and the one trade-off you cannot avoid if you vote.
Read the briefing »Google's Results about you tool: what it removes and what it can't
What Google's Results about you tool does, screen by screen, what it will and won't remove from Search, and how to pair it with people-search opt-outs.
Read the briefing »Researching a company in Mexico, Chile and Colombia: the open registries
How to check a company in Mexico, Chile or Colombia with free official sources: tax IDs, company registries, gazettes and the SAT's 69-B list, explained.
Read the briefing »Your phone number links more of your life than you think
Your phone number is a login, a recovery key and a search term. How SIM swaps work, how to lock your carrier account, and when a second number makes sense.
Read the briefing »California's Delete Act and DROP: one request to every registered data broker
California's DROP lets residents send one deletion request to every registered data broker. How it works, why August 2026 matters, and what it will not cover.
Read the briefing »Company ResearchPublic Records Explained
Reading a Secretary of State business filing, field by field
What each field on a state business record means, from status and formation date to registered agent and officers, with a fictional example and red flags.
Read the briefing »The first hour after a data breach letter: what to do, in order
A breach letter arrived. Here is the first hour, in order: check that it is real, change passwords, freeze your credit and get an IRS IP PIN if needed.
Read the briefing »Court records online: what anyone can see, and what stays sealed
What federal and state court records show online, which cases stay sealed, how errors reach background checks and brokers, and how to get a record fixed.
Read the briefing »Why people-search listings come back after you opt out
Opted out and found yourself listed again? Why people-search listings return, how to keep a removal log and a short routine that keeps your details down.
Read the briefing »Argentina's personal data law (Law 25.326), explained for non-lawyers
What Argentina's Law 25.326 protects, when no consent is needed, the 10-day and 5-day clocks on your requests, who enforces it, and when to call a lawyer.
Read the briefing »The Fair Credit Reporting Act and people-search sites: where the line is
Why people-search sites say they are not consumer reporting agencies, what the FTC did when some crossed the line, and your rights in a real background check.
Read the briefing »How to check out a company before you pay it: a 20-minute routine
A timed routine for checking a business before you pay a deposit: state registries, license boards, complaint databases, court dockets and payment red flags.
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