Technology

Remove your personal info from the top 7 people search sites

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2022

Remove your personal info from the top 7 people search sites

I at all times say that what you put up on the web is eternally.

That’s why it’s essential to guard your private data. Suppose, for instance, how dangerous it could be if a risqué picture you thought was secure in your pc ended up within the incorrect fingers. Faucet or click on for my finest recommendation on storing delicate private footage.

In fact, many data you may discover on-line aren’t fairly so personal. Faucet or click on for a trick to see what your private home, or another place, regarded like years in the past. It’s a enjoyable stroll down reminiscence lane.

Talking of your private home, your handle is linked to your title everywhere in the internet — alongside along with your age, cellular phone or landline quantity, members of the family’ names, each handle the place you lived, and much extra. It’s best to delete it, and I’ll present you ways.

Knowledge Breach Button on Pc Keyboard
(iStock)

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Folks search websites 101

Folks search websites earn cash by amassing and promoting private data. This repository can embody your title, handle, date of delivery, gender, marital standing, members of the family, social media profiles, training ranges, property data, monetary data, cellphone numbers, police data, employment data, and extra.

The websites scrape this data from native, state, and federal public data, together with courtroom data, social media, on-line boards, and different sources. Some additionally buy data from knowledge brokers.

Knowledge brokers are loosely regulated at finest, and there’s no legislation to stop them from amassing and promoting publicly obtainable data.

Anybody can seek for details about you: A jealous ex to seek out out the place you reside or a scammer gathering data to gasoline their nefarious deeds. The extra individuals learn about you, the extra injury they’ll do.

Make each Tuesday “Decide-Out Tuesday”

I began “Decide-Out” Tuesday on Komando.com after getting requests from readers asking the way to take away their private knowledge from individuals search websites. The issue is that the elimination steps will not be at all times simple to seek out on these websites.

Each Tuesday, I decide a individuals search website and inform you exactly the way to take away your private data. So that you just by no means miss one in every of these websites, take motion now.

Faucet or click on right here now to check out my free Tech Ideas e-newsletter to get every Decide-Out Tuesday article straight to your inbox.

Listed here are a couple of extra suggestions earlier than we get began. Do not pay to take away your data from any individuals search website. The positioning should present this course of without spending a dime.

Whereas eradicating your data from these websites, you have to be cautious which hyperlinks you click on. Buttons that seem like a part of the positioning could also be advertisements that lead you to a different website that requests fee.

The High 7 Websites to Take away Your Knowledge

It may possibly shortly get overwhelming attempting to do all seven in a single sitting. Do one a day for the following week. After which drop by my web site for each “Decide-Out Tuesday.”

1. Take away your self from BeenVerified

BeenVerified lets customers seek for property data in addition to private data. Right here’s the way to take away your knowledge:

Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/search.

Enter your first and final title and choose your state from the drop-down menu. Then hit the Search button.

Choose the right match from the search outcomes and click on Proceed to Decide-Out.

Fill in your e mail handle and click on Ship Verification Electronic mail.

Open the e-mail and click on the hyperlink inside. It will convey you to a affirmation web page.

Count on it to take a number of days to weeks earlier than your data vanishes.

Now you may go on to take away your property knowledge:

Go to https://www.beenverified.com/app/optout/address-search.

Enter your handle within the search field.

Click on Proceed subsequent to your matching end result.

Tick the field on the names you wish to take away from the document, then click on Decide-out Proprietor.

Fill in your e mail handle and click on Ship Verification Electronic mail.

Open the e-mail and click on the hyperlink inside. It will convey you to a affirmation web page.

If the steps aren’t working, contact assist@beenverified.com.

For extra in-depth directions on BeenVerified, together with screenshots for each step, faucet or click on right here.

16 December 2021, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rottweil: A hacker software is open on a laptop.

16 December 2021, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rottweil: A hacker software program is open on a laptop computer.
(Silas Stein/image alliance)

2. Take away your self from Spokeo

Spokeo boasts a database of 12 billion data. Practically 20 million individuals go to Spokeo.com every month.

Observe these directions to opt-out of Spokeo:

Go to spokeo.com and enter your data to seek for your profile.

Refine your search by deciding on a state from the Browse Areas listing. Faucet All Filters to refine your search additional.

Faucet in your title to go to your profile web page and copy the URL.

Go to spokeo.com/optout.

Paste the URL within the Enter URL right here discipline.

Enter your e mail handle and full the Captcha.

Choose Take away this itemizing.

Verify your e mail for a message from Spokeo. Faucet or click on the hyperlink under this line: “To finish the elimination course of, please click on this URL or paste it into your browser.”

You’ll be taken to a web page with the message, “We’ve obtained your request to take away this itemizing.”

Give the positioning no less than per week to course of your elimination request.

When you want buyer assist, name Spokeo at 888-558-9004. Try the contact web page for extra methods to get in contact.

For extra in-depth directions on Spokeo, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

3. Take away your self from MyLife

MyLife launched in 2008 after a merger between two different search websites: Reunion.com and Wink.com. The positioning boasts a Repute Rating characteristic, which assigns a quantity based mostly on the way you’re offered on-line to anybody who cares to look.

Right here’s the way to take away your self totally from the positioning.

Go to mylife.com and choose the Do Not Promote My Private Info button on the backside of the web page.

Fill within the required starred data.

Choose Discover URL of Repute Profile by final title after which choose the first letter of your final title.

You’ll need to undergo fairly a little bit of narrowing all the way down to get to a listing of profiles that match yours.

As soon as you discover your profile, copy the URL, and paste it into the sphere marked Enter the profile URL on the opt-out web page.

Whenever you’re completed, choose Decide Out on the backside of the shape.

A message seems that states your request can be processed inside 15 enterprise days.

When you want buyer assist, name 888-704-1900 or e mail membersupport@mylife.com.

For extra in-depth directions on MyLife, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

4. Take away your self from Intelius

Intelius is likely one of the extra outstanding knowledge brokers on the net and owns a number of individuals search websites corresponding to PeopleFinder, ZabaSearch, and US Search.

Here is the way to opt-out of Intelius:

Go to intelius.com/opt-out/submit.

Enter your first and final title, state of residence and e mail and choose Proceed.

Discover your title on the following web page and choose Take away This Document.

You’ll be despatched to a web page informing you that an e mail affirmation was despatched.

Open the message in your inbox and scan the knowledge earlier than hitting the Affirm Electronic mail button.

You’ll be taken to a closing affirmation web page.

Your data can be faraway from the Intelius database inside seven days.

When you need assistance, contact buyer assist at 888-245-1655 or ship a message to assist@mailer.intelius.com.

For extra in-depth directions on Intelius, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

5. Take away your self from StateRecords

StateRecords guarantees prompt entry to state, county, and municipal data. Eradicating your data from StateRecords is a simple course of:

Go to staterecords.org/optout.

Enter your title, state, and metropolis.

Mark the checkbox for all entries that match your data, then choose Take away Knowledge.

Enter your e mail handle on the following display screen and full the Captcha.

Choose Submit once you’re executed.

Verify your e mail for a message from assist@staterecords.org.

Choose Click on Right here to verify your elimination request.

You’ll be taken to a affirmation web page.

Wait a couple of days, search the positioning to your data, and repeat the method if crucial.

In case you have any points, contact StateRecords at 855-938-5042.

For extra in-depth directions on StateRecords, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

6. Take away your self from On the spot Checkmate

On the spot Checkmate boasts greater than 1.4 billion searches on its web site. Checkmate, certainly.

Right here’s the way to erase your data from On the spot Checkmate.

Go to instantcheckmate.com/opt-out.

Fill in your title, metropolis and state and hit Search.

Choose the right match from the search outcomes and select Take away This Document. Repeat this course of for every match.

Enter your e mail handle, full the Captcha, and choose Ship Affirmation Electronic mail.

Open the affirmation e mail. Verify your spam/junk folders should you don’t see it. Then choose Affirm Decide-Out.

You’ll be taken to a affirmation display screen, and also you’re executed.

Your knowledge must be eliminated in 48 hours.

When you need assistance, contact buyer assist at 800-222-8985.

For extra in-depth directions on On the spot Checkmate, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

7. Take away your self from PeekYou

PeekYou advertises its providers as a handy solution to discover your pals and kin. There are a few methods to take away your data from PeekYou:

Go to peekyou.com and enter your first and final title and state. Click on the search button.

You’ll get a listing of matches close to the highest of the web page. Click on on the match that applies to you.

On the following web page, click on Decide Out within the upper-right nook of the field containing your data. It’s grey and exhausting to see, but it surely’s there.

You’ll be taken to an opt-out type with the Distinctive ID for the profile you chose already stuffed in.

Enter your e mail handle and full the Captcha.

Learn and ensure the agreements and click on submit.

You’ll get an e mail with a affirmation hyperlink. Click on the hyperlink, and also you’ll be taken to a affirmation web page.

Alternatively, you may go to PeekYou’s homepage, scroll all the way down to the underside of the web page, and choose Do Not Promote My Private Info. From right here, you may enter your data and URLs linking to any matching profiles on the positioning. Use the above steps to finish your opt-out request.

If it is advisable to contact PeekYou, ship an e mail to data@peekyou.com.

For extra in-depth directions on PeekYou, together with screenshots, faucet or click on right here.

Reminder: In case you have not already taken the step to get my free Tech Ideas Publication to make each Tuesday “Decide-Out Tuesday,” faucet or click on right here to enroll now when you’re fascinated about it.

Berlin, Germany - August 28: Symbolic photo on the subject of hackers and data security. Hands write on a computer keyboard on August 28, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

Berlin, Germany – August 28: Symbolic picture as regards to hackers and knowledge safety. Arms write on a pc keyboard on August 28, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Picture by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek by way of Getty Photographs)
(Picture by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek by way of Getty Photographs)

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Pay attention Now: Password supervisor hacked, smartwatch burns, Model New or Not True

On this enjoyable and informative episode, Samsung’s smartwatch is underneath hearth for reportedly burning wearers, a preferred password supervisor was hacked, and why you shouldn’t depend on Tile’s new QR code stickers to seek out your misplaced stuff. Plus, the way to ask Google to take away your private data from search outcomes, flip an previous PC right into a media server, and see if Kim can idiot a Komando listener on this week’s Model New or Not True.

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Technology

This modder proves everything’s better with a GBA SP screen attached

Published

44 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

This modder proves everything’s better with a GBA SP screen attached

Have you ever looked at a Nintendo DS and thought it would be cooler if the top screen was swapped for the Game Boy Advance SP’s? Or looked at a Super Nintendo controller and wished it had a GBA SP screen bolted onto the back? Whether you have or not, Hardware modder Hairo Satoh, aka Retrohai hai Softbank, has you covered with some truly cursed reimaginings of Nintendo’s portable consoles. (Recall their portable emulated PlayStation built into the Takara Roulette Controller.)

Let’s go on a little journey through Satoh’s Instagram account. Before we get into my favorite mutated Nintendo handhelds — frankententos, if you will — know that Satoh also does some very pretty custom jobs on the company’s various portable consoles. And they’re made to order.

This one they posted recently is a good example. We are Known Transparent Case Stans here at The Verge, but this goes a step further with its colorful hologram stickers and ChromaFlair-style color-changing sheen. Oh, and it runs Game Boy Advance games.

That controller mod I mentioned up top isn’t the only time Satoh has turned a console gamepad into its own handheld. The GBA SP’s screen looks remarkably at home on an SNES (well, Super Famicom, technically) pad…

…and on a PS2 Dual Shock controller, too.

But why not jam one onto a Nintendo DS Lite, too? It doesn’t make sense at all, even if this is a mash-up of the two most attractive pieces of hardware Nintendo ever made, but I don’t need any justification for this thing’s existence. Also, this is the point where things start getting a little cursed.

I guess this is also a Nintendo DS?

Again, but more colorful.

Ah yes, the Original Game Boy Advance SP DS (OGBASPDS).

I’m enamored with the concept of a multi-position adjustable screen on this original DS.

Give me this and the ability to emulate the fantastic vertical-scrolling shooter Ikaruga, please.

Ah, yes, this makes sense.

I can’t say I understand the extra buttons and d-pad here, but I respect the chaos.

The Nintendo Long Boy DS.

I think this is probably the final boss of Satoh’s inventive creations.

Satoh didn’t respond to us when we reached out, but we’d love to know more about these creations. How much of these are made up of custom hardware on the inside? How many of them are emulating Nintendo’s handhelds, rather than rejiggering its original hardware components to fit? If we receive a response, we’ll dig in some more.

Technology

Massive Dell data breach hits 49 million users; what this means for your privacy and security

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

Massive Dell data breach hits 49 million users; what this means for your privacy and security

Computer maker Dell faced a huge security challenge after a cyberattack stole information for approximately 49 million customers.

Dell confirmed that the type of information stolen includes people’s names, postal addresses, and Dell hardware and order information, such as service tags, item descriptions, order dates and different warranty information.

What happened: a breakdown of the incidents

Menelik, the threat actor behind the attack, openly told told TechCrunch how he extracted such a huge amount of data from Dell without being detected.

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Menelik set up several partner accounts within the Dell company portal which, when approved, allowed the hacker to use a brute-force attack to access customer data. A brute-force attack consists of an attacker submitting many passwords or passphrases hoping to eventually guess correctly.

The hacker sent more than 5,000 requests per minute to the page for nearly three weeks, and Dell did not notice anything. After sending nearly 50 million requests and scraping enough data, Menelik sent multiple emails to Dell, notifying the company of the vulnerability. It took Dell nearly a week to patch it all up, according to the hacker. Dell confirmed to TechCrunch that it received the hacker’s email notification of the vulnerability.

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How Dell responded to the data breach

Dell sits as the No. 3 PC vendor in the world behind Lenovo and HP, and the affected accounts represent a small fraction of its user base. The company communicated this statement to affected users:

“We are currently investigating an incident involving a Dell portal, which contains a database with limited types of customer information related to purchases from Dell. We believe there is not a significant risk to our customers given the type of information involved.”

We reached out to Dell and a representative for the company provided us with this statement:

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“Dell Technologies has a cybersecurity program designed to limit risk to our environments, including those used by our customers and partners. Our program includes prompt assessment and response to identified threats and risks. We recently identified an incident involving a Dell portal with access to a database containing limited types of customer information including name, physical address, and certain Dell hardware and order information. It did not include financial or payment information, email address, telephone number or any highly sensitive customer data.

“Upon discovering this incident, we promptly implemented our incident response procedures, applied containment measures, began investigating, and notified law enforcement. Our investigation is supported by external forensic specialists. We continue to monitor the situation and take steps to protect our customers’ information. Although we don’t believe there is significant risk to our customers given the type of information involved, we are taking proactive steps to notify them as appropriate.”

WHAT A MASSIVE HEALTHCARE CYBERATTACK AT ASCENSION MEANS FOR YOUR PRIVACY AND SECURITY

What this means for your privacy and security

There’s no immediate aftermath of this data leak. Dell believes the risk to its customers is not significant since financial and payment information, email addresses and phone numbers were not stolen in this attack. However, the risk of phishing or even major malware and ransomware attacks still exists. The threat actors might try sending personalized letters with infected drives, a tactic seen before.

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There’s a good chance this data leak has already been sold on the dark web. The hacker posted the information for sale on the dark web and then took it down quickly, which often happens when someone buys the whole database. If you’re a Dell customer who bought hardware between 2017 and 2024, be very careful about any messages you get in the mail claiming to be from Dell, especially if they ask for personal information.

OVER HALF A MILLION ROKU ACCOUNTS COMPROMISED IN SECOND CYBER SECURITY BREACH

7 proactive measures to take to protect your data

In the wake of the cyberattack on Dell, consider taking several proactive steps to protect your personal information:

1. Change your passwords: Although Dell says your personal details like phone number and email address haven’t been leaked, it’s still advisable to change the password of your Dell account if you have one. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

2. Avoid tech support phone scams: Since the hackers have your data, they may try to get in touch with you, posing as a Dell employee. Always verify if the tech support person you’re talking to actually works for Dell. Be skeptical about all unsolicited phone calls, and don’t provide any personal information.

3. Be wary of mailbox communications: Bad actors may also try to scam you through snail mail. The data leak gives them access to your address. They may impersonate people or brands you know, and use themes that require urgent attention, such as missed deliveries, account suspensions and security alerts.

4. Report any suspicious activity: If you notice any suspicious activity related to your Dell accounts or purchases, report them to security@dell.com. This may include unauthorized purchases, unusual login attempts, or changes in account information.

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5. Monitor your accounts and transactions

You should check your online accounts and transactions regularly for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the service provider or the authorities as soon as possible. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are any signs of identity theft or fraud.

6. Use identity theft protection

Identity Theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security Number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

7. Invest in personal data removal services: While no service guarantees complete data removal from the internet, utilizing a removal service can be beneficial for those seeking to monitor and automate the deletion of their personal information from numerous sites over time. Check out my top recommendations for removal services here.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Dell’s recent data leak highlights the lapse in the computer maker’s security infrastructure. The attackers being inside the network for an extended period is especially troubling. Given Dell’s role in providing hardware and software solutions, including backup and recovery tools, for critical infrastructure, a thorough investigation into its code and supply chain for signs of tampering is crucial. Dell is working with law enforcement and third-party security experts to investigate the incident, so that’s a step in the right direction.

Have you adjusted your online behavior or preferences due to concerns about data privacy and security breaches? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

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Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

The EV industry can’t shake its human rights abuse problem

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

The EV industry can’t shake its human rights abuse problem

Mining for minerals used to make EVs and batteries is plagued with allegations of abuse, the latest report from the nonprofit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) shows. And automakers continue to source materials from some of the worst offenders, The Verge finds.

BHRRC has documented 631 allegations of human rights abuses since 2010 for seven key minerals used in electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, and renewable energy technologies. Many of the allegations were made against a small group of companies, which The Verge was able to link to three of the world’s biggest EV manufacturers: Volkswagen Group, Tesla, and BYD.

“Things are not improving,” said Caroline Avan, head of natural resources and just transition at BHRRC. The need for more renewable energy and clean transportation is evident, but those technologies shouldn’t come at the expense of people who live and work in places where companies source their raw materials, she said.

“Things are not improving.”

“The fight against climate change is a human rights imperative at this point in time, but it should not be seen as a license to just disregard human rights in mining operations,” Avan said.

An electric vehicle requires about six times as many minerals as a typical gas-guzzling car. Demand for critical minerals used in EVs and battery storage for renewable energy could grow tenfold by 2040, under a conservative estimate by the International Energy Agency. Scrambling to secure all those minerals without taking the time to make sure they’re mined humanely is where problems arise.

BHRRC’s latest report includes potential abuses linked to the mining of seven minerals: bauxite, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel, and zinc. It’s been tracking those allegations since 2019 using publicly available records, including court documents and regulatory resources, as well as reports from other nongovernmental organizations and media outlets.

It found 91 more allegations in the past year alone, including a “marked increase in labour rights violations and worker deaths” that made up roughly 40 percent of the new allegations in 2023. Across its entire data set going back to 2010, labor violations including 53 work-related deaths make up a quarter of all allegations. For 2023, alleged attacks against human rights defenders, water pollution, and threats to water access are also glaring issues.

It found 91 more allegations in the past year alone, including a “marked increase in labour rights violations and worker deaths”

Since 2010, more than half of the allegations were made against just 10 companies. State-owned China Minmetals now leads the pack, topping Swiss multinational mining giant Glencore, which ranked highest over the past two years.

Combing through sustainability reports and media coverage of the world’s top three EV manufacturers, The Verge found a history of deals with Glencore and China Minmetals.

To drive its EV ambitions, Volkswagen entered into an agreement with Glencore and battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) back in 2017, Reuters reported. Under the agreement, CATL would buy 20,000 metric tons of cobalt products from Glencore for Volkswagen’s EV batteries.

In 2023, VW’s battery division PowerCo initially agreed to back a SPAC deal alongside Glencore and Stellantis to buy nickel and copper mines in Brazil — although the deal reportedly fell through later that year over price squabbles. Volkswagen has also identified gold sourced by Glencore in its supply chain, according to its 2023 Responsible Raw Materials Report. The company declined to comment on BHRRC’s findings but has said that it is working to comply with Germany’s new Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.

Tesla buys nickel from a Glencore mine in Australia and cobalt from two Glencore mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo according to the company’s 2021 and 2022 impact reports. In 2022, workers at one of those cobalt mines spoke to The Verge about unsafe working conditions without adequate water or breaks and with little food or pay. Cobalt is often called “the blood diamond of batteries” because of the dangers workers face mining it.

Neither Tesla nor Glencore responded immediately to requests for comment from The Verge. Tesla’s 2022 impact report explains that the company conducts audits of its suppliers to improve working conditions at each site and make sure “corrective actions” are taken to address any problems. It touts “working with suppliers where issues are found rather than walking away.”

In the year since then, China’s BYD overtook Tesla to become the world’s biggest seller of EVs — despite its vehicles being unavailable in the US due to high tariffs. China Minmetals also inched past Glencore this year, racking up more allegations of abuse than any other company in BHRRC’s report.

BYD doesn’t name its more than 10,000 suppliers in its 2023 CSR report (Tesla and Volkswagen only give a partial list in their reports). But China Minmetals subsidiary Hunan Changyuan Lico is reportedly one of BYD’s lithium battery material suppliers. BYD didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A separate report by environmental and human rights groups published in February ranked car companies based on how much progress they’ve made to eliminate environmental harms and human rights abuses. Tesla ranked third highest, behind Ford and Mercedes-Benz, in that assessment. Volkswagen ranked sixth, and BYD came in 16th out of 18 companies.

Automakers certainly aren’t the only industry with a lot of work to do to prevent abuse along their supply chains. Rechargeable batteries that power many of the gadgets in our lives are made with a lot of the same materials cited in these reports.

Governments, mining companies, and manufacturers who buy their goods all need to take action to stop abuse, BHRRC’s Avan says. That includes adopting policies that make human rights a priority and that empower people to have a say in projects that might affect their communities.

“[When it comes to] a lot of egregious and gross negligence in occupational health and safety at mining sites, this is not rocket science. Those things can be fixed,” Avan says. “What [manufacturers] should be doing is engaging with the mining sector, asking questions, and putting in front of them the requirements and expectations for better protection of human rights.”

The Verge reached out for comment to each of the 10 companies BHRRC lists as having the most human rights allegations against them. Three of them replied to say that they respond to allegations of abuse and implement changes accordingly, including Freeport-McMoRan, Solway Group, and Tenke Fungurume Mining.

Neither China Minmetals nor Glencore immediately replied to The Verge’s request for comment. But a spokesperson for Glencore commented on BHRRC’s report last year in an email to The Verge to say, “Our assets are located in diverse contexts, some .. in more challenging socio-political circumstances with a history of conflict, limited basic services, and weak rule of law … we work in partnership with government, civil society and development agencies to share knowledge, build capacity and contribute to enduring social and economic outcomes.”