How To Remove Yourself From LexisNexis: An In-Depth Expert Guide

With over 80 billion public records and thousands of data sources, LexisNexis paints an alarmingly complete picture of consumers. This in-depth guide will explain how LexisNexis works, the full extent of its data aggregation, how to opt out or freeze your file, and additional steps you can take to regain control of your personal information.

What Exactly is LexisNexis and What Do They Collect?

LexisNexis is the digital arm of RELX, one of the largest analytics companies in the world. Their Risk Solutions product provides extensive background check reports to businesses to assess potential customers and clients.

These reports compile both public and non-public records from an unparalleled number of sources. According to LexisNexis, their public records include:

• Court records – bankruptcies, liens, judgments, divorce filings
• Property records – titles, deeds, mortgages, foreclosures, property values
• Business records – incorporations, UCC filings, fictitious names, licenses
• Phone records – carrier information, current and previous numbers
• Criminal records – arrests, convictions, incarcerations, parole information
• Voter registration data – party affiliation, status, precinct, history
• Death records – death certificates, dates, causes

In total, LexisNexis provides access to over 80 billion public records from over 10,000 government sources. But public records are just the tip of the iceberg.

LexisNexis also collects extensive data from private sources and data brokers:

• Credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion all share consumer credit information with LexisNexis. This includes loan and debt details, payment history, bankruptcies, and more.

• Retail partners – LexisNexis obtains transactional data from retailers, catalog companies, and ecommerce sites. This reveals consumers‘ shopping habits and purchase histories.

• Social data – Partners like Acxiom aggregate data from social networks to provide information on individuals‘ interests, activities, and affiliations.

• Proprietary sources – LexisNexis operates under the radar data brokers that acquire consumer data by scraping public sites and questionable methods. For example, they own consumer data company Accurint.

In total, LexisNexis leverages over 30 petabytes of structured and unstructured consumer data. They generate over $3 billion annually selling this business intelligence.

How LexisNexis Data Is Used to Screen Consumers

LexisNexis sells access to consumer reports to a wide range of industries and clients, including:

• Insurance Companies – Reports are used to assess a consumer‘s risk profile for underwriting policies. Information like bankruptcy filings, accusations of fraud, or recent large purchases can increase premiums or lead to denial of coverage.

• Employers – Pre-employment screenings frequently include a LexisNexis background check to verify identity, credentials, criminal history, and more. Financial problems, bankruptcies, or legal issues revealed in the report could cost candidates job offers.

• Landlords – Rental applications often require a tenant screening report from LexisNexis. Evictions, broken leases, late rent payments, and judgements influence acceptance.

• Lenders – Mortgages, auto loans, and credit card approvals rely heavily on LexisNexis data. Credit standing, bankruptcies, foreclosures, debt-to-income ratios determine loan terms and qualifications.

• Healthcare – Providers screen patients for identity verification, insurance coverage, and ability to pay prior to treatment.

Consumers with negative information in their LexisNexis reports can face major obstacles getting approved for essential services. However, data inaccuracies also cause problems for many.

Opting Out of LexisNexis

Given the vast scale of their data collection and the consequences for consumers, many understandably want to opt out of LexisNexis. Here is the complete process:

1. Go to https://optout.lexisnexis.com

2. Enter your personal information like SSN, name, and address. This allows LexisNexis to identify you in their systems.

3. Select a reason for opting out. Options include privacy concerns, being a victim of identity theft or fraud, risk of personal harm, etc.

4. Submit supporting documentation based on your reason. For identity theft, provide a police report case number. For risk of harm, submit a court protective order.

5. Wait for LexisNexis to review your request and notify you of the outcome. Processing can take 4-6 weeks.

If approved, LexisNexis will remove information they have collected about you from future reports. However, they will not delete data provided by independent third-party sources over which LexisNexis claims to have no control. They also may continue including:

• Motor vehicle and driver‘s license records
• Voter registration records
• New media reports and legal documents
• Regulated FCRA data like credit headers

So while opting out provides some increased privacy, it does not entirely remove your information from their systems or future reports.

Should You Opt Out of LexisNexis?

Before deciding to opt out, carefully weigh the pros and cons:

Pros

• Increased privacy and control over your data
• Reduce risk of financial fraud or identity theft
• Avoid marketing calls, emails, and junk mail
• Remove errors that could negatively impact applications

Cons

• May hurt chances of approval for loans, insurance, jobs, or rentals
• Still allows some data collection and reporting
• Removal takes time, is not immediate
• Private sources still retain information about you

Opting out makes sense for many consumers prioritizing privacy over credit and background checks. However, consider waiting if you plan to get a mortgage or insurance soon to avoid roadblocks.

Alternatives: Freezing Your LexisNexis Report

Freezing your file provides similar benefits as opting out without entirely removing your record. When frozen:

• Businesses cannot access your LexisNexis report
• They are notified the report is frozen if they make a request
• You can temporarily lift the freeze when pursuing loans or services

Freezes prevent access without impacting your ability to leverage your history to get approved. And they can be implemented immediately with no processing wait.

However, freezing does not stop LexisNexis from continuing to collect and aggregate your data. To fully remove yourself, combining a freeze with robust opt-outs is most effective.

Auditing and Managing Your LexisNexis Data

Aside from opting out and freezing your file, be proactive monitoring the data LexisNexis has about you:

• Get your LexisNexis Consumer Disclosure Report annually – Review all collected information for accuracy and completeness. Dispute errors with data furnishers.

• Obtain your credit reports – LexisNexis sources credit data. Compare their reports with your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion records.

• Review reports from other background check sites – Research companies like TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, and Peoplefinders that sell similar data as LexisNexis. Opt out of them as well.

• Sign up for a data removal service – Companies like DeleteMe and Incogni specialize in removing your information from hundreds of public data brokers and people search sites. This provides additional privacy not fully possible by opting out alone.

Ongoing diligence is required to gain control over your digital footprint. In addition to monitoring your records, also be sure to:

• Use antivirus software and VPNs when browsing
• Set up fraud alerts with credit bureaus
• Limit sharing of personal information online
• Remove yourself from mailing lists and marketing databases

Key Takeaways About LexisNexis Opt Outs

LexisNexis provides businesses with unparalleled insight into consumers through aggregated public records and private data sources. However, their reports also represent threats to privacy that consumers should take action to address including:

• Submitting opt-out requests to have information removed – with the caveat that LexisNexis retains discretion over what is deleted

• Freezing your file to prevent access without fully erasing data

• Obtaining copies of your LexisNexis report to audit for accuracy

• Researching other data brokers and people search sites that may have your information

• Enrolling in dedicated data removal services like DeleteMe or Incogni for ongoing monitoring and removal

While getting your data removed from LexisNexis takes effort and diligence, doing so enables you to regain control and put your privacy first. With the right precautions, you can minimize unwanted sharing and exposure of your personal information.