Mozilla has taken the decision to wind down its partnership with Onerep, an identity protection service, in response to revelations about the CEO’s history of creating people-search networks. The partnership, which was part of the Mozilla Monitor Plus initiative, aimed to offer users the ability to remove themselves from people-search sites and receive breach notifications from services like Have I Been Pwned. However, concerns were raised after a report indicated that Onerep’s CEO, Dimitri Shelest, was involved in the establishment of several people-search services, including Nuwber, a data broker selling background reports. Despite Shelest’s claims of non-interconnection between Onerep and Nuwber, ethical apprehensions led to Mozilla’s decision to terminate the association.
Furthermore, the controversy revealed potential conflicts of interest and ethical considerations surrounding data removal practices, shedding light on the challenges posed by data brokers and people-search services in the realm of consumer privacy. This development underscores the need for enhanced oversight and potential regulation in the industry to safeguard consumer data and privacy rights effectively. The series of investigative reports by KrebsOnSecurity exposed intricate webs of businesses and individuals within the data broker and people-search sectors, emphasizing the urgency for greater transparency and protection in handling consumer data.
