Search for people on the Internet: methods, services, important nuances

In the era of digital technology, the search for people on the Internet has become much easier than it was 15–20 years ago. Whether it is old friends, lost relatives, former classmates or business partners — in most cases you can find information about a person, knowing even minimal data. However, this process has its own difficulties, features, as well as ethical and legal nuances. In this material, we will consider the main ways to search for people, popular services and what needs to be taken into account in the process.

Why is there a need to look for a person on the Internet

The reasons can be very different:

• the desire to restore contact with a childhood friend or relative;
• search for classmates before a meeting of graduates;
• the need to verify information about a person before cooperation;
• establishment of personality in the framework of journalistic investigations;
• Search for debtors, customers or work candidates.

Regardless of the reason, on the Internet you can find a lot of useful information — if you know where and how to look.

Nesudba.net — This is a specialized service designed to search for information about people on the Internet. He aggregates data from various open sources, such as social networks, educational institutions, organizations and other public databases. The purpose of the service is to provide users with the most complete and relevant information about a person, combining scattered data into single profiles. Thanks to the structured database and intellectual search, the service allows you to quickly find the necessary information, even if the initial data is limited.

The main ways to search for people

There are several approaches to the search that can be combined to increase efficiency.

Search by name and surname

This is the most obvious and simple way. Enter the name and surname in the search engine (Google, Yandex, Bing). If the name is not too common, you can quickly get relevant results.

Which will help to clarify:

• city ​​of residence or birth;
• Approximate age or date of birth;
• kind of activity or place of work;
• The educational institution in which the person studied.

Search by social networks

Social networks are the main source of relevant information about people. The most effective platforms:

• VKontakte — allows you to search by name, city, age, schools and universities;
• Classmates — ideal for searching for older generation people;
• Linkedin -Good for the search for specialists and business contacts;
• Telegram — If you have a username, you can find an account and even send a message.

Search by phone number or email

If you have a phone number or email address, you can use the following tools:

• Enter data in the search engine — often they are associated with profiles in social networks;
• Use special services (more on this);
• In some cases, the input of email addresses in social networks helps-the system will offer a related profile (if the user has not hidden this in the settings).

Search by photo (Face Recognition)

If you have a photograph of a person, you can try to find it using the reverse search services for images:

• Google Images — upload photos and view the similar ones;
• Yandex pictures — often works better for the Russian -speaking segment;
• FindClone — finds coincidences in the VKontakte base in the face;
• Pimeyes — a powerful tool with facial recognition on the Internet, paid, but very accurate.

Using forums and ads of ads

Often people are looking for each other in special forums.

Tips to increase search efficiency

To use the Internet resources as efficiently as possible, adhere to the following recommendations:

• Combine requests. Try different combinations of data: “Ivan Ivanov Novosibirsk”, “Ivan Ivanov Engineer”, “Ivan Ivanov 1985”.
• Look for in different languages. Sometimes a person uses Latin: “IVAN IVANOV”.
• Check the archives. Sites like Wayback Machine can help if a person deleted the profile.
• Use quotation marks. Requests in quotation marks («Anna Petrova») give more accurate results.
• Be attentive to details. Places of work, occupation, hobby — all this will help reduce the search circle.

Legal and ethical aspects

It is important to remember: Not every search method is legal.

• The collection and distribution of personal data without human consent can violate laws on the protection of personal data (in Russia-FZ-152).
• Wiretapping, hacking of accounts, buying illegal bases — violation of the law and criminal liability.
• Surprising or obsession can be considered as a persecution.

Advice: If the goal of the search is to restore contact, it is worth respectful to the privacy of a person and not use dubious methods.

Experts note: the search for people on the Internet is a combination of analytics, creativity and ethics. With the right approach and the use of proven tools, you can find almost any person, especially if he has at least somehow “lit up” on the Internet. The main thing is to observe the law, respect the borders and remember: almost everyone has a digital trace, and sometimes one tint is enough to get to the desired contact.