How ClearTrace works
ClearTrace is a workflow, not a magic delete button. Here is exactly what happens at each stage.
1. Find
You tell ClearTrace which identifiers to look for — a name, email address, phone number or old username. Each scan records what was searched and what was found so you always have a trail.
2. Understand
Every result is mapped to the organisation that actually controls it: a data broker, a search engine, a publisher or a government records office. You see the data category exposed and how confident the match is.
3. Remove where possible
Where a legitimate removal path exists, ClearTrace shows the correct form or contact, the likely response time, and the exact steps to take. Where no path exists, it explains why, who controls the information, and what legitimate options remain.
4. Verify
A submitted request is not an outcome. You log responses, re-check the listing, and mark the case as removed, rejected or not possible — with the reason recorded.
5. Monitor
Listings reappear. Monitoring keeps checking the identifiers you've chosen and raises an event when something new or re-listed shows up.
When removal is not possible
Public court records, lawful news reporting and some official registries are protected by law or by the publisher's rights. In those cases ClearTrace tells you why removal isn't available, names the organisation in control, lists any legitimate options such as sealing, correction or search de-indexing, points you to where a request can be submitted, and sets out the next steps. It is information, not legal advice.