By Associated Press | March 21, 2005
A Cambridge start-up is offering a service it says gives a measure of control over the personal data the Internet disgorges, giving new meaning to a practice commonly termed 'ego surfing' or 'Googling yourself.'
The practice of typing your name into an Internet search engine and seeing what pops up is now common, but the results can be unpredictable. The Internet holds surprising amounts of personal information, and some of it may be outdated, inaccurate, or embarrassing.
ZoomInfo's computers have compiled individual Web profiles of 25 million people, summarizing what the Web publicly says about each person. The service, launched today, allows Web surfers to search for their profile, then change it for free.