Glossary
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Compliance certifications
Compliance certifications are formal badges a company holds for meeting a named standard, and a longer list usually signals more regulated or public-sector customers.
Connectors
A connector is the plug a security key needs to slot into, so check the shape matches the ports on your computer or phone.
Countries covered
Countries covered is the list of national data sources a removal service can actually work on.
Credit bureaus monitored
Credit bureaus monitored tells you how many of the main credit report providers a service watches for new activity on your file.
Custom domains
A custom domain lets you use your own web address for email or masking, which keeps your personal address off the sites you sign …
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Encryption
Encryption is the method that turns stored or transmitted data into unreadable form, and a privacy tool's details on it say whether anyone outside …
Encryption the provider cannot open
Encryption the provider itself cannot open means a breach of a company's servers leaves stored files locked rather than readable to anyone who steals …
End-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption means only you and the other person can read a message, so the provider in the middle cannot read it.
Extras
Extras are the tools bundled with the main product, such as a VPN or password manager, and a bundled tool can carry the plan's …
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Family plan
A family plan is one subscription that covers several people or several devices instead of a single user.
Family plan price
A family plan price is what the whole household or group pays for one shared subscription.
FCRA compliant
FCRA compliant means a background check service follows the US Fair Credit Reporting Act rules for reports on people.
Features
The capabilities a service includes, such as no-logs handling, streaming access and travel support.
Features
Features are the named functions a product ships, and each one below signals a different job to be done.
First-year price
The first-year price is the total charged for the opening year, including any introductory discount.
Founded
Founded is the four-digit year a company was set up, and it separates long-running firms from recent entrants.
Free plan
A free plan is a tier you can use without paying, and here it is the clearest split between the products.
Free plan limits
The caps placed on a free tier, which decide what the service is usable for at no cost.
Free search
A free search lets you run a lookup at no cost before you subscribe to ongoing monitoring.
Free storage
Free storage is the amount of space a service gives you at no cost before you pay for more.
Free trial length
A free trial length tells you how long you can use a paid plan before the first payment, and a longer window gives you …
Free version
A free version is a usable tier a provider offers without payment, and it usually covers the basics while holding back the features people …
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Legal entity
The legal entity is the registered company that stands behind a product, and it is the name to read in the terms.
Logging policy
A logging policy sets out what data a provider records about you, and the approaches here range from none to a narrow set.
Long-term plan price
The long-term plan price is what a provider charges each month once you commit to its longest subscription, and it is usually the smallest …
Longest plan (months)
The length of the longest subscription a service sells, and the commitment it asks of you.
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Passkeys
Passkeys are a passwordless sign-in method that relies on a key stored on your device instead of a typed secret.
PCI DSS
PCI DSS is the card-payment security standard, and a vendor listing it has controls in place for handling card data.
Platforms
Platforms are the devices and browsers a product runs on, and coverage decides whether your own setup is supported.
Price
Price is what a security key costs outright, since these are hardware you buy rather than subscribe to.
Price from
The lowest advertised price, tied to the entry paid plan and the billing period behind it.
Price per TB per year
Price per TB per year normalises a storage plan so you can compare providers by cost per terabyte.
Pricing model
Pricing model is the shape of a provider's charging, from a single upfront payment to a free tier or budget entry point.
Privacy tool type
Privacy tool type is the label that sorts a product by what it actually does, such as blocking ads or running a private DNS …
Protocols
The connection types a tool supports, which shape speed, privacy and how easily a network blocks it.
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Record opt-out
A record opt-out lets you ask a people-search site to remove a profile of yourself before you pay anyone.
Removal frequency
Removal frequency tells you how often a service repeats its removal work after the first cleanup.
Renewal price
The renewal price is what you pay when the offer you signed up for expires, and it is the figure that decides your real …
Report price
Report price is the cost of a single background, vehicle or tenancy report, bought without a membership.
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Server countries
Server countries is the number of nations a provider runs network infrastructure in, and it tells you how far your traffic has to travel …
SOC 2
An AICPA SOC audit checks how a company protects customer data, and a report that adds an operating period shows whether those controls actually …
Streaming services
Streaming services are the video platforms a privacy tool says it can reach, and the list is a vendor claim rather than a tested …
Subscription price
Subscription price is the recurring cost of a people-search membership, charged for access to reports and records.
Support channels
Support channels are the ways a reader can reach a provider's help desk, and they differ a lot between the products here.