Articles on: Data Removal Process

How Does the Scanning Process Work?

Understanding every part of the scanning process can feel intimidating at first, but we're here to walk you through it. Privacy Bee scans the internet to identify potential data exposures that may be connected to you.

You don't need to manage this process alone. Your Dashboard is designed to keep everything clear and easy to follow.

How Privacy Bee Identifies Potential Exposures:

Our scanning process looks for potential data exposures by matching key profile details from your Identity Vault (your Privacy Bee profile).

Privacy Bee scans for exposures by matching:

Name
Date of birth or age
Physical address
City
State
Email address
Phone number (when added to your Identity Vault)

These details must align for identity verification before the Global Response Team can submit a removal request.

How Exposures Are Verified Before Sending Removal Requests:

Before submitting a data removal request, the Global Response Team verifies that the exposure is yours.

This verification step helps us:

Confirm the exposure is tied to the correct person
Reduce incorrect matches
Support a more accurate and successful removal process

If a site lists conflicting details, it may take additional review before a removal request can be submitted.

Why Broad Scanning Can Create False Positives:

Privacy Bee uses broad-based scanning to find as many of your online exposures as possible. Because many sites contain similar names and overlapping records, broad scanning can sometimes surface exposures that appear to be a match, but aren't actually yours.

These are called false positives.

We prefer catching a few false positives rather than risking a real exposure being missed.

What To Do If You Find a False Positive:

If an exposure doesn't belong to you, you can add it to Ignored Records in your Identity Vault.

Adding a false positive to Ignored Records will:

Suppress the exposure, and no deletion request will be sent
Keep your Dashboard more accurate and easier to review
Help our scans learn which information to prioritize going forward

If you're ever unsure whether something is a false positive, our Customer Support Team can help you review it.

How Privacy Bee Confirms Removals After a Request Is Sent:

Once a data removal request has been submitted, Privacy Bee continues scanning to confirm whether the request was honored.

After a request is sent, scans typically follow this schedule:

A check in about 3 - 4 days
A follow-up check in about 7 days
Another check in about 14 days
Another check in about 28 days

If your information is still visible, we continue requesting that it be deleted.

Some companies update their systems slowly, so it may take time for removals to reflect online, even after a request is accepted.

How To Track Your Removal Progress:

You can track the progress of removals at any time through your Privacy Bee License.

Progress is available in:

Your Dashboard
The Data Broker page

The best way to monitor progress is to check exposure statuses over time as they move through the removal process.

Update Your Identity Vault for Accurate Results:

If your profile details have changed (such as a move or name change), updating your Identity Vault helps ensure the most accurate scanning results.

The more complete your profile is, the easier it is to match exposures and take action quickly.

Updated on: 01/15/2026

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