Most Americans have very little choice but to provide their personal information to credit bureaus. Hackers have found a way into that data supply chain, and are advertising access in group chats used by violent criminals who rob, assault, and shoot targets.
I live in Sweden and you can find the adress of like 99% of the people living in Sweden by just doing a simple google search on their name. For example famous actor Stellan Skarsgård. I found his home adress in about 5 seconds.
Back in the before before times we were all sent a giant book full of everyone’s address and phone number. If you didn’t want to be in it you had to contact the phone company.
But that’s all you had to do. Try making yourself dark now. It’s a constant battle.
I will put getting your name removed from the yellow pages circa 2005 right up there with cancelling a gym membership, returning a used car, and immaculate conception.
I think same thing applied also for Norway or Denmark. I remember discovering this one day and it seemed pretty wild.