Would you like to listen to the accompanying podcast episode that goes into detail of online dating protection?

Beautiful day lovely humans! Thank you for returning to the website to read yet another blog post of mine. If this is your first time here LET ME LOVE ON YOU!!! -muahzzz 😙

Today I’d like to share with you one of the very first actions that I took when I decided that I was ready to start dating again. && of course, you don’t HAVE to do this. But if you’re someone who values their privacy, this is a wonderful step to take for online dating protection- before you ever even introduce yourself to someone new.

ONLINE DATING PROTECTION HIGHLIGHTS:

• How I browse multiple search engines in an incognito tab to find and remove my personal information.
• Why I use a public phone number from Google Voice to conceal my personal telephone number.
• The benefits of leveraging a virtual address to conceal a personal home address.
• Bringing awareness to how easily personal data can be scraped and sold by companies.
• How frequently one should browse the internet to see if their personal information has been scraped.
• Encouragement to date with the intention of marriage, as well as how to protect oneself physically, mentally, and emotionally.
• Interested in learning what I personally implemented to become the CEO of my life? Check out this link here.

Before we dive into online dating protection,

I would like to clear up one thing. The information that I share, can be implemented into a persons dating style whether they’re solely using dating apps, meeting individuals in person organically, or a mixture of both. I think that it’s very important for women to know who they’re allowing to enter their lives. && I personally feel that in this day of age, discretion is an art 💚

When it comes to dating, I encourage women to implement the art of discretion into their lives. This is especially useful for online dating protection

I sort of glazed over this part of the definition of discretion in the video. So, I’d like to note that it also reads, ‘especially cautious reserve (as in revealing information)’

As someone who is essentially an open book, and a bit too forthcoming, I had to learn what to share, what not to share, as well as when to release concealed information. With that being said, let’s begin with online dating protection 😊

Online Dating Protection Is Incredibly Important Because Of How Easy It Is To Find Personal Information

Quick question. How often do you think someone googles the name of another person? What about googling telephone numbers that text or call them out of the blue?

This is actually fairly common for individuals to do. People are googling strangers, people interviewing for jobs, and even out of plain curiosity. This is true whether they’ve met the individual online, or in person. People are checking the digital footprint of others.

Reverse phone lookups are the most common web searches known in our day of age. Isn’t that fascinating?

Contact Information is INCREDIBLY EASY to Locate

When I began thinking of online dating protection, removing my personal information from the web was the first action that I took. && today, I’d like to share why. Admittedly, I only had this idea after employment training to be a Sales Development Representative. As such, it was my responsibility to locate prospective clients, and get them to agree to meet with an Account Executive. To do this, I was taught how to use websites such as ZoomInfo, Owler, Kaspr, Seamless, etc. These websites provided me with unlimited access to personal phone numbers, complete company directories, even addresses to send them gifts via Sendoso.

But, a person doesn’t need to work in sales to obtain personal information. One could leverage websites such as Spokeo, BeenVerified, PeopleFinder, and I’m sure the WhitePages is still a thing. It’s also important to mention that one doesn’t need a proper membership to obtain this information either. A person can pay as little as a DOLLAR to purchase the full profile of an individual. This profile may include, but is not limited to, their phone number, home address, work address, and social media profiles.

Wondering how these websites have so much personal information?

Humans freely give it to them- indirectly of course. Companies that scrape information are known in the biz as data brokers and data aggregators.

Data Brokers:

These are the companies such as LexisNexis, Experian, Acxiom, Oracle Data Cloud, etc. It’s imperative for one to comprehend the purpose of data brokers when it comes to online dating protection, because these are the companies that purchase, and sell personal information in an aggregated format. Essentially, data brokers are the wholesale platform for companies such as Spokeo to buy data from.

Data Brokers purchase personal information from:

• Loyalty programs (think Kroger, Target, Victoria’s Secret, TJ Maxx)
• Free websites, apps, and services (think games, personality tests, weather apps that sell your location, smart devices [tv, baby monitors, health & fitness trackers] anything that asks you to agree to its terms and conditions can be a culprit)
• SOCIAL MEDIA is a well known conglomerate that build digital IDs of individuals and sells that information to data brokers. Even people with private profiles are able to have their name, workplace, and location scraped. They sell Ad targeting data such as: ‘black males in Florida interested in gardening’ to companies looking to sell gardening tools, courses, and more, to those who fit that segment.
• Many companies have partnerships with marketing platforms (think car insurance quotes, email newsletters, subscriptions) that sell personal data.

I was an intern at a company that helped these companies organize the data that they collected. Companies such as Talend (Qlik), Informatica, Azure, etc help other companies update and verify personal data- which pings back and forth between the companies that harvest the information. Intense, right?!

Data Aggregators:

These companies, such as Spokeo, are your ‘people search engines.’ They purchase information from data brokers, social media websites, and public records to create profiles of private individuals and sell their information to others.

AI Crawlers LLM Scrapers:

There are companies whose sole purpose is to search the internet and scrape information to train Large Language Models. && yes, thankfully, there are ways to add code to a personal website if a person would like to prevent this from happening. However, there isn’t anything a person could do to prevent what they share on social media websites from being used to train LLMs. A person would either comply, or delete their account.

How to Protect Your Privacy When Getting Back Into Dating

I know that I just provided you with a lot of information. But I felt that it was imperative to discuss how personal information is being collected, as well as how it is located. Equipped with the knowledge, a person will be able to comprehend what to share, when to share it, and how to share it. Now, let’s discuss the steps that I personally take when it comes to online dating protection.

Online Dating Protection: Search Yourself First

When I was taught how to obtain personal information (for the sole purpose of the company selling its products & services to those people) I realized that I needed to see what information about myself was floating around on the internet. Therefore, I grabbed my phone, opened up a private tab, searched my full name, as well as my city.

I looked for any website that populated my phone number, my home address (even out dated information). This was important for me to do because I had been shown how data brokers are consistently scraping information, && how incredibly cheap it is to access.

• Once I found my ‘profile’ I copied the link and took note of the name of the website.
• Scrolled to the footer of that website.
• Scanned for ‘contact us’ ‘opt out’ or ‘remove my information.’
• Sent a request to take down the listing.

Thankfully, most websites will actually walk people through the process of removing their personal information from the site. However, I will say, if you’re someone who started a business and used your home address as the registering agent, the only way to remove THAT particular information is to update your home address (to a different address) with your Secretary of State.

Google is the most popular search engine,

But I implore you to search your name in others such as Bing, and Yahoo. It’s also recommended to routinely search your name a few times throughout the year. These three are the top search engines that I’m aware of, but if you know of any others, please let the girlies know below in the comment section 💚

Online Dating Protection: Having A Public & Private Phone Number

Personally, I just don’t feel that everyone is entitled to have direct access to me. Therefore, I have decided to have a private telephone number, as well as a public telephone number. I’ve found Google Voice to be a pretty solid choice, however, it doesn’t offer privacy. I mean, IT IS google && as such, your text messages, voice messages, and recorded calls aren’t private. Neither is who you call. Nor when the call was made. The location isn’t private. Neither is the length of the call. All of these factors can be used to build your ‘digital profile.’

But even traditional phone companies do that

Companies such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer zero encryption. Meaning, anyone who knows how to access the information can get it. Voice messages are subject to be obtained, phone calls can be heard, and metadata will be collected.

So, it may sounds off putting hear that personal information isn’t safe on Google Voice. But ththe same is true when it comes to well known telephone companies. If it provides you any comfort, companies are more so interested in your metadata, as opposed to the contents of a phone call/ text message. Metadata includes:

• Who is contacted (phone numbers saved in contacts, numbers called, the numbers texted, called received.)
• The duration of the call. How often the calls are made. The relationship between the callers.
• When the calls/text are made
• Where the calls/text were made from, where the device moved to while on the call.
• Device used

Essentially, there isn’t much ‘privacy’ when it comes to information that a person voluntarily shares with third parties.

Alternatively, a person could use Signal

But, the people they speak with would also need to be a Signal user. As of now, this is the only option that I’m aware of that provides End to End Encryption. One may wonder why I’m not personally using Signal, to which I shall remind you, that both parties would need to be on Signal to make phone calls/ texts through that platform.

Whichever option is chosen

This becomes the public telephone number that is provided upon request. It’s a real number. People can call it, send text messages, leave voice messages- it IS a direct line to you. The benefit of having a public telephone number, and a private telephone number is that people can prevent their personal information from being scraped by data brokers. This is a great offense when it comes to online dating protection.

I give out my public telephone number when I see a digital download requires it, when a guy is trying to shoot his shot, employment applications, resumes, two factor authorizations, rideshares- EVERYTHING. I also have a special email address that I use for things that are separate from my personal and business email.

I’ve found having a separate telephone numbers as a great option to have.

Online Dating Protection: Have A Public Address

A bit extreme? Not to me! It’s incredibly simply to change a phone number in the event that it has been compromised, but it isn’t as easy to up and move- at least not for the average person. Like phone numbers, addresses are also used in digital profiling.

Banks need to be able to verify an address. Insurance companies, healthcare providers, credit card issuers all require a physical address. They’re legally required to ‘know their customers.’ Not only for fraud prevention, and seeing if someone lives in a ‘high risk’ area, but for THEIR records as well. Of course, there’s also the government who requires this information for tax purposes, voter registration, etc.

Anytime a company offers something for free, it’s usually to sell your data

Of course, not every company/ website does this. But the vast majority of them do. When a person is getting ‘free shipping’ from major retailers, more than likely their home address is being sold. Those mail in sweepstakes? Yeah, they’re more than likely selling personal information.

Home address are quality information for a person/company to obtain. I mean, think about it from their perspective. They’re able to purchase the name and address of everyone who lives in a specific zip code, with a specific income, all for a dollar amount that’s within their budget. They could then send information that they deem as being valuable to that person, or to the agenda of the company.

&& the same way metadata shares who a person speaks with, how long they speak to them, and the relationship they have to that person, addresses can link individuals together as well. They’re able to see who your family members are – members outside of the home as well.

I’m sharing the importance of online dating protections because,

What if the person or company obtaining this information has ill intentions? Personally, I have known the feeling of concern from repeatedly seeing a lovesick man sitting in his car, parked in front of my house. I’ve had conversations with police officers, sheriffs, school officials, and work managers advising me on ways to keep myself safe from men (who don’t seem to comprehend the words ‘no’ ‘not interested).

Here’s some ways you can conceal your home address when it comes to online dating protection

Have online deliveries sent to a PO Box. You can even have things shipped directly to the UPS store and go pick them up. I know we love to use home delivery for quick dinners, and groceries. && these have their place. However, if you’re in a position to, you could opt for a pickup instead. (&& you could opt out of using loyalty programs that track your spending habits).

Yes, there is a cost associated with purchasing a virtual delivery address, but it could save you in the future. I also advise people who are business owners (and content creators) to have a personal address, as well as a public address.

Benefits of having a public business address

This may be the perfect time to mention that I am not a CPA, or an attorney at this exact moment in time. I’m simply sharing my personal opinions on this matter, and what I personally feel is appropriate to implement into my life. With that being said, I’ve already mentioned having a virtual mailing address, but in many cases as a business owner, a physical business address is better.

For example, if someone is interested in obtaining a grant, or a business loan, a physical business address could be better. If one would like to meet in a public setting, as opposed to their private residence, they could meet at their public business address. This could be an office space, house, apartment, condo- rented or owned.

I also think that it’s a wonderful idea spiritually to record content, go live, and take business calls in a space that is separate from where they live.

With that being said,

There are some legalities to think about when it comes to using a public address on a drivers license. However, if done correctly, it can be implemented. Things such as voters registration, legal notices, tax information, all of the legal things, should be taken into consideration here. Our goal is to have a good offense, not to commit a criminal offense. See what I did there? 😅

I share more of this information in BAJP. This program goes into details of setting up legal protections in the form of LLCs, trust funds and things. I know the thought of setting up legal structures sounds like a lot- especially if a person isn’t actually running a business. But, I like to think of myself as being the CEO of my life. This is why I have implemented those structures into my life.

Disclaimer: I’m not an accountant, I’m no tax expert, && I’m not an attorney- at least, not at this exact moment in time. Therefore, I must state that this is general information, and I cannot legally provide a person with professional advice in these areas. In my personal experience, so long as an individual stays current with their state filings, even if they’re reporting zero income, they’ll be okay.

As the CEO of my life

It is my responsibility to ‘keep the business afloat.’ Online dating protection is relevant here, because I believe in dating with the intention of marriage. I view marriage as being a corporate action, a merger.

I am a unicorn company in my own right

I’ve personally taken an interest in knowing who it is that I allow to enter my life. Heck, a person even has the ability to trademark their name. Which means that legally, it isn’t something that someone can use freely.

Online Dating Protection: I Veil My Face

Of course, this isn’t something that I’m suggesting YOU do. I’m simply sharing what I do. The level of ease that someone can digitally alter an image is insane. I decided right then and there to remove all images of myself from the internet when I learned how to create ai characters. && this was back in 2024 when the ai image & video generation (open to the public) was in its infancy.

People can take an image and alter it to make it seem like a person is literally doing anything. It’s honestly a bit concerning. I’m not fearful of it. But I would rather have a solid offense against this tactic, as opposed to trying to hire a team to defend me from that tactic.

The same can be said when it comes to digital voice alteration.

I hear the voice of Maya Angelou being used all the time. Morgan Freeman has a very distinct voice && it is being used all of the time. While I have decided to veil my face, I do allow my voice to be heard. Of course, I take some measures of offense in this way as well. I have all of my content housed via bunny.net && keep all of my podcasts streamed in one singular place.

Conclusion

I want my girlies to be safe in these streets. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. This is why I share how I personally keep myself safe while dating. && honestly, this is just the first layer. The next thing I’d like to share is how I personally vet the men who ask to enter my life.

I find all of the safety measures that I implement to be essential. This is why I share the information with women re-entering the dating scene. Online dating protection is something to lead offensively in. This is why I advise women to go ahead and search themselves online prior to dating again. Removing outdated pages on google and requesting sensitive data to be removed could take some time.

In my opinion, it’s important to have a personal telephone number and a personal home address. In addition to having a public telephone number and address. Being mindful of which ones are being given out to people and companies. Keeping this is mind will help women to maintain control over their data privacy, and helps to reduce known risks associated with todays digital age.

As Always,

I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog post- truly I do. This website is self hosted without the use of advertisements, sponsorships, or affiliate links. If you’d like to contribute to this website, you may do so here. I greatly do appreciate you!

Remember, all things are possible- they are! The best is yet to come && the odds are always in your favor. Take care.

-Divine Dime💚👑