Protect Your Personal Number Online

Why You Should Stop Using Your Personal Number

Many entrepreneurs start out using their personal phone number because it’s convenient. However, using your personal number is like leaving your key in the front door. Because your number is a unique identifier, when you use it for business, you leave yourself vulnerable to data aggregators looking to link your private and professional life.

3 Reasons to Use a Business Number

• Protect Your Home Address. When you list a personal number on public filings, data companies can easily link it to your private residence. Using a virtual number prevents your home address from being tied to your professional identity in searchable online databases.
• Reclaim Your Off-Hours. Sharing one number for everything means you are essentially “on call” 24/7. A dedicated line allows you to set business hours, ensuring that work calls don’t interrupt your dinner.
• Filter Out Spam. Business owners are primary targets for solicitors and automated bots. Using your personal number for vendor signups often leads to a flood of robocalls and sales texts.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking to grow your business, it’s crucial that you protect your business privacy.

What are data aggregators?

A data aggregator is a company that collects thousands of tiny, scattered pieces of information about you and pieces it together into a single, searchable file.

Contrary to popular belief, most data isn’t stolen through high-profile hacks by a single hacker—it’s usually sold legally through everyday transactions. When you use your personal number for business, you are feeding the data aggregation ecosystem that builds and updates a public dossier on you.

What kind of data do aggregators collect?

Data aggregators typically collect:

• Public Records. Your current and past addresses, marriage licenses, voter registration, criminal records—even your home value and photos of your house.
• Digital Footprints. Your browsing history, app usage, and social media activity.
• Commercial & Financial Records. Purchase history, financial health, the car you drive.

Data aggregators and data brokers collect this information and turn into a product—your consumer profile.

Is it legal for data brokers to sell my phone number?

Yes. In most places, data brokers can legally collect and sell information that is considered “public record,” such as information found on business filings or property deeds.

However, new privacy laws (like the California Consumer Privacy Act) are starting to give people rights to “opt-out” and request that their data be deleted from these lists.

How Your Data Gets Harvested and Sold

Data aggregators are constantly combing through the web for information on you. Here are a few ways they gather your data to sell:

Public Record Scans

Everything from forming an LLC to voter registration leads to your contact info being added to a public database. Large data companies constantly scan these lists to find new numbers to sell to telemarketers.

Building a Profile

Once a company has your number, they can often find your home address, your social media accounts, and even your family members’ names. They “glue” these pieces together to create a profile of you that anyone can buy for a few dollars.

The “Free” App Trap

Many “free” apps and websites pay their bills by selling your information. When you give them your number to sign up, you are often unknowingly giving them permission to share that number with “marketing partners.”

Once your personal number is on a public filing, it’s very hard to remove. Even if you change your number later, the old records are archived and stay in the system permanently.

How to Keep Your Personal Number Private

To keep your personal number private, you’ll need to scrub the information that is already out there and shield yourself from future exposure.

Scrub Your Current Information

If your number is already online, you need to break the link between your name and your digits on “People Search” sites.

• Opt-Out of Data Brokers. Visit major sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified. Look for the “Opt Out” or “Do Not Sell My Info” links in to request your profile be removed.
• Audit Your Social Media. Check the “About” and “Contact” sections of your Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media profiles. Even if your profile is private, these numbers can sometimes be indexed or found by apps you’ve authorized.
• Google Your Number. Search for your phone number on Google. If you find it on a specific website, you can contact the site owner or use Google’s “Request to remove personal information” tool.

How Virtual Phone Numbers Prevent Spam & Data Leaks

Once you’ve cleaned up your history, your primary goal is to shield your personal number moving forward. A virtual phone number can act as a protective shield by keeping your personal contact info off public records and away from data aggregators. For example, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP phone service) is a widely used virtual phone service that helps protect your privacy.

• For You. You can use a virtual VoIP number for your online shopping, therapy search, or any other online activity you prefer not linked to your personal number.
• For Your Business. A VoIP number allows you (and your employees) to take business calls on personal cell phones via an app without exposing your personal number. You keep your private life private while maintaining a professional front.

Plus, there are additional security features (like call encryption) that make VoIP a smart choice for protecting your personal number privacy.