auto-identity-remove — On Our Radar

Status: 🟡 Under observation
Why we're talking about it: This open-source script attempts to automate the manual slog of data broker removal but suffers from significant alpha-stage technical friction.

What we know:
- The tool utilizes CapSolver for AI-powered captcha bypass at a projected cost of ~$0.001 per solve (GitHub).
- Automation logic targets specific opt-out flows across various data broker platforms via scripted interactions (Project Readme).
- Implementation is currently fragile, with high 404 error rates and failures for users with non-US addresses (HN).
- The script requires local access to Apple Mail clients to handle verification workflows (HN).
- Broadcasting PII to 500 entities simultaneously may inadvertently verify active identities for non-compliant brokers (HN).

The unknowns:
- We don't know yet if the '500 sites' count refers to unique brokers or includes various sub-domains (UsedBy Dossier).
- No security audit exists regarding how PII is encrypted or stored locally before the automation triggers (UsedBy Dossier).

This article will be updated when we have more data. Until then, proceed with caution.

Ship clean code,
Marcus.