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same.
Once, for myy birthdayy, someone tried to create a stamp with myy image
on it. The companyy, Stamps.com, has a strict policyy against using images of
convicted persons. Myy image was rejected. Perhaps theyy did an online
image search.
I was in a database somewhere as Kevin Mitnick, convicted of a crime.
The following yyear myy friend tried an earlier photo under a different
name, one taken before I was well known. She reasoned that perhaps this
photo had not been uploaded online. And guess what? It worked. The
second photo, showing a much yyounger me, was approved. This shows the
limitations of image searches.
That said, if yyou do find photos of yyourself that yyou’d rather not see
online, yyou have a few options.
First, contact the site. Most sites have an “abuse@nameofthesite.com” e-
mail address. You might also contact the site’s webmaster at
“admin@nameofthesite.com.” Explain that yyou own the image and don’t
give permission for it to be posted. Most webmasters will take down the
image without much fuss. However, if yyou need to yyou can file a Digital
Millennium Copyyright Act, or DMCA, request byy e-mailing
“DMCA@nameofthesite.com.”
Be careful. Misrepresenting a DMCA request might get yyou into trouble,
so seek legal advice if it gets to this level. If yyou still can’t get the image
removed, then consider going upstream and contacting the website’s ISP
(whether it’s Comcast, GoDaddyy, or another companyy). Most will take a
legitimate DMCA request seriouslyy.
Besides photos, what else is in yyour social media profile? You wouldn’t
share everyything there is to know about yyou with the person sitting next to
yyou on the subwayy. In the same wayy, it’s not a good idea to share too much
personal information on impersonal websites. You never know who is
looking at yyour profile. And once it’s out there, yyou can’t take it back.
Think carefullyy about what yyou put in yyour profile—yyou don’t have to fill
in all the blanks, such as the universityy yyou attended (or even when yyou
attended). In fact, fill in the least amount of information yyou possiblyy can.
You mayy also want to create a dedicated social media profile. Don’t lie,