How to Remove Your Personal Information From the ZoomInfo Database

Getting your information removed from the ZoomInfo database is a relatively simple process that can be completed within a few minutes. It is important to note that opting out of ZoomInfo does not stop new records from being generated.

ZoomInfo does not collect consumer data such as lifestyle, political affiliations, donations, credit history or personal emails. Instead, it focuses on professional information like business contact details and intent signals.

Company Information

Zoominfo is a publicly-traded company with headquarters in Vancouver, Washington. It provides sales, marketing and recruiters with access to an extensive business-to-business (B2B) contact database and a suite of sales intelligence and prospecting tools.

The company obtains its information through natural language processing of the open web and an automated community-contribution system. Its team of human researchers then reviews, verifies, and enhances the depth and accuracy of the information.

Unlike some other databases, ZoomInfo does not rely on cookies or other IDFA- and PII-based tracking to track users across the internet. Instead, its product Scoops and Intent uses data points to analyze and report on B2B intent, without the need for consent or other tracking.

Hamilton College has received reports from a small number of York staff about ZoomInfo emails that they have received, which are not related to the video conferencing tool known as Zoom. ZoomInfo is a “sales intelligence” business that collects and sells personal data it harvests online in order to cultivate new leads.

Company Profiles

Zoominfo collects company profiles and biographies through natural language processing of the open web. They also gather data from their Community contributors who verify and add information. The company does not sell consumer or credit information and focuses strictly on business intelligence.

The company has a dedicated privacy team to help their customers meet compliance requirements as regulations evolve. They have recently added new team members to further support customers around GDPR, CCPA and other privacy regulations.

Business Contacts

ZoomInfo is a B2B contact database company that helps sales, recruiting, and marketing professionals find the right business people. Its products include a search engine, sales intelligence, account-based marketing (ABM), data enrichment, and more. Its search engine enables users to find email addresses, direct phone numbers, and other information about business people.

Its products help businesses increase operational efficiency, align sales and marketing teams, and consolidate their technology stacks. The platform also includes a variety of features, including lead generation and automated data enrichment. Its products are used by companies worldwide.

The processing of personal information by ZoomInfo is normally based on its legitimate interests, including the interests of its customers and partners in conducting direct marketing activities and in organizing and making available Professional and Business Profiles, or where there is a legal obligation to do so. ZoomInfo takes steps to ensure that personal information is only used for the purposes for which it was collected, and in accordance with applicable laws.

Opt Out

While ZoomInfo is a legitimate business that provides information to other businesses, it’s important for consumers to understand how their data is collected and used. They collect and sell information about individuals for marketing purposes. ZoomInfo offers an online form for consumers to remove their information.

The opt out process may take a few days to complete. Consumers should verify their email address before submitting their request. In addition, consumers should perform a search on their name to ensure that it is not showing up on other data brokers.

For privacy concerns, ZoomInfo users should consider using a professional service that can remove their information from over 50 data brokers that expose it online. A privacy service will help safeguard personal information from hackers and ensure that companies are only accessing accurate and current data. Julianne joined Abine in 2018. She is a dedicated privacy advocate and opt out expert. When she’s not fighting data brokers, she enjoys unplugging with a cup of coffee and her cat.

Return to the home screen…

What Is Personal Information Gathered?

Many numbers mark people as individuals, from customer identification to Social Security numbers. But defining what counts as personal information varies widely across data privacy laws and regulations.

Personal information, or PII, is any information that can identify an individual, either alone or in combination with other information. This includes everything from names to credit card numbers to biometric information.

1. To provide a service

Personal information is any information that can identify a person. This includes basic details like first name and last name, as well as more specific data like date of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records. The key is to understand that data alone doesn’t constitute personal information; it’s only when you can distinguish or trace an individual that they become personally identifiable, or ‘PII’.

To be considered PII, it needs to be collected and used fairly, transparently, and for a purpose that you have explained to the person at the time of collection. This ensures that the amount of data gathered is appropriate to the purposes for which it will be used and reduces the risk of function creep and other privacy risks.

4. To perform a legal obligation

A company can rely on this lawful basis when processing personal information is necessary to comply with a legal obligation that has a clear basis in common law or statute. This includes statutory duties such as tax compliance or reporting to the police. It also includes regulatory obligations such as those imposed by the CMA or HMRC.

When you use this lawful basis you must document your decision to do so and explain the reasoning behind it. You must also be able to identify the specific legal provision or appropriate source of advice or guidance that clearly sets out your obligation.

If you rely on this lawful basis to process information you must provide people with privacy information at the latest within one month of obtaining their data or, where you envisage disclosing it to another company, at the time that disclosure is first considered.

5. To protect your interests

Personal information gathered is data that can be used to trace or distinguish an individual over time and across different contexts. This is the core of what was previously known as PII (Personal Identifiable Information).

PII can be tied to the things you buy with your credit card, check out at your library, or use to unlock your smartphone. It builds a dossier of your interests and activities that can be used to track you.

When it comes to PII, the principle of lawfulness should guide your decisions about how you collect and use it. You should also limit the information you collect to what’s necessary for the purposes you specify, and ensure that transaction metadata isn’t kept longer than it’s needed. And you should always provide transparent, easy-to-understand privacy information.

Go Home…

Personal Information Dispute Letter

When a credit bureau makes an error on your credit report, you have the right under Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to send a letter requesting information about it. This is sometimes referred to as a “609 dispute letter.”

You can submit your personal information dispute via the online option or through old-fashioned paper mail. Both methods are effective, though you might get more timely results by going the online route.

What to Include

A personal information dispute letter is a request to a credit bureau that specifies errors on a consumer’s credit report. The letter must present specific details about the incorrect item and include proof that demonstrates why it should be corrected. Consumers also need to send a copy of their credit report where the error appears, and any documents that prove their identity.

Consumers should start their letter by writing their full legal name and social security number. Two spaces beneath, they should write the name of the credit bureau. Then, they should write today’s date. Using this format makes it easier for the credit bureau to identify and categorize the dispute. Next, consumers should explain the error in detail and ask the credit bureau to delete it from their reports. Consumers may want to include supporting documentation like copies of bill statements, loan paperwork, or even a police report. However, they should refrain from expressing anger or frustration as this could cause the bureau to delay investigating the claim or even dismiss it as frivolous.

Addressing the Credit Bureau

You can dispute credit bureau errors through their websites and by mail. Each bureau has a specific area where you can submit disputes online, and most will send a form with your credit report that you can use for mailing. Ensure that you include as much information about the error as possible in your letter and keep copies of everything you send. This may help prevent the credit bureau from asking you for more information later.

The most general type of dispute letter references Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and asks a credit bureau to verify an item in your report. The credit bureau must investigate the disputed item and, if it cannot be verified, remove the item from your report.

If you send your dispute letter by mail, make sure to pay for a return receipt so that you have proof of when the credit bureau received it. By law, they must investigate your dispute within 30 days of receiving it.

Addressing the Information Furnisher

There are a few things to keep in mind when drafting your dispute letter. First, it’s important to realize that this is a legal document that may later become part of a court exhibit. This means that you should be polite and do your best not to include any foul language or name-calling.

Another important thing to remember is that you also have the right to dispute information directly with the company that provided the information to the credit bureau in the first place. These are called information furnishers and can include credit card issuers and lenders.

If you send a direct dispute to the furnisher, it has 30 days to investigate your claim and then report back to the credit bureaus. Once the credit bureaus are made aware of the inaccurate information, they have to remove it from your credit report and give you an updated free copy of your credit report. If the furnisher stands by its claim that the information is correct, it must notify all three credit bureaus about your dispute.

Closing

The letter should end with a cordial phrase such as “Sincerely,” or “Respectfully yours.” The more cordial and professional the letter is, the less likely the credit bureau will delay the investigation or dismiss it as a frivolous dispute.

The final paragraph of the letter should request a response within 30 days as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Also include a request that the disputed information be corrected or deleted, based on the evidence you have provided. Send the letter by certified mail with a request for return receipt. This will provide you with a signature as proof that the credit bureau received your letter.

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each have a webpage that walks you through the online process of filing a dispute. If you file the dispute online, you can check on its status anytime. Generally, most disputes are resolved in about 30 days. If an error is found, your credit report will be updated.

Return to the home screen…

What Is Personal Information?

Personal information is very valuable and when it gets into the wrong hands, it can cause a lot of harm. As such, organizations need to understand the various regulations that apply to personal data.

This article will explore the definition of personal information, how different privacy laws define it and what businesses need to do to protect it.

What is personal information?

Personal information is a broad term that encompasses a variety of different types of data. However, it’s important to note that a person’s personal information can be very sensitive and should be protected accordingly.

This means that businesses should always be sure they are processing personal information in accordance with the law. Moreover, they must be sure that they have the right safeguards in place to protect this sensitive data.

As new, stricter privacy laws are passed around the world, the definition of personal information is evolving and changing. For example, California’s recent data protection law defines personal information as a combination of an individual’s first name and last name or their first initial and last name paired up with things like their social security number, driver’s license number, credit card numbers and corresponding security codes, medical records, and browsing history. Information doesn’t have to be kept in a written form, either; it can also be recorded in other mediums such as audio recordings and video.

What is sensitive personal information?

While personal information is defined by varying data privacy laws, some categories of data are more sensitive than others. This is because the information in question could be subject to more serious harm if it falls into the wrong hands, like identity theft, cyberstalking, or discrimination. Sensitive personal information, or SPI, is also often subject to stricter legal guidelines for businesses who collect it.

SPI includes data such as a person’s race or ethnicity, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, trade union membership, genetic information, biometric data, and health-related information covered by laws such as HIPAA. SPI is often considered more sensitive than personal information because of the potential damage that can be caused if it is breached or accessed by unauthorized individuals.

This guide outlines the differences between personal information and SPI so businesses can comply with varying data privacy laws. It covers how these distinctions impact a business’s collection, use and storage of user data and what steps they need to take to keep this information safe.

What is non-sensitive personal information?

Non-sensitive personal information is anything that doesn’t qualify as sensitive under privacy laws. Sensitive information is a category that’s defined differently depending on the law, but it typically includes information like race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, political opinions, trade union membership and genetic data or biometrics. This data is given extra protection because it could lead to discrimination or harassment if revealed.

However, it’s important to remember that just because a piece of data isn’t considered sensitive doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be combined with other pieces of data to identify an individual. Criminals often use this technique when hacking into bank accounts. For example, a criminal might combine someone’s email address with their mother’s maiden name to figure out the answer to a security question and then steal their money or access their account. Sensitive data should be kept separately from personal information, and it should be encrypted or pseudonymised wherever possible.

What is PII?

PII is information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify an individual. This information can be gathered from public records, phone books, corporate directories and websites. It can also include information about an individual’s past or present health or medical condition.

Typically, PII is considered sensitive because it can be used to commit crimes such as identity theft, which can be extremely damaging to an individual. Those who handle PII are required to follow strict data privacy regulations like HIPAA for medical information, COPPA for children’s online information and GDPR for European data.

PII can be difficult to eliminate from the internet, but there are some steps you can take to minimize your digital footprint. Requesting people-search sites to remove your information, limiting the amount of personal information you share and using tools like AdBlock can all help. However, even if you’re careful, bad actors are coming up with new ways to use your PII.

Read further…