Basic sources of public information about individuals
There are a number of publicly-accessible records that can be used to match your name with other personal information such as your home address, family members’ details, and private phone numbers.
These records include:
- social media
- electoral roll (which can contain details about a person’s home address and, potentially, others residing at a person’s home address)
- telephone records (which may have home phone number and address details)
- vehicle ownership details (which contain details about car and residential details)
- property details
- company, trust or charity records.
You should be aware that while it is reasonably easy to protect certain personal details in these records, it is difficult to achieve perfect anonymity.
A determined individual can take more advanced steps such as locating historical information or commissioning research through professionals such as private investigators or credit reporters. In the digital age, once information is online, it will usually remain there unless you can have it removed or changed.