Want to know who the guy you went on a date with last night really is? Phoenix-based dirtsearch.org is the go-to site for uncovering hidden truths about potential lovers, employees, babysitters, and more. Erik Knight, founder of DirtSearch, has created a free database of information that allows you to search anyone, anywhere; DirtSearch is essentially a search engine of people. Pulling from all corners of the vast World Wide Web, the site gathers public records about a person and puts them in one, easily accessible place. And all this happens in a matter of minutes. Results will provide information ranging from a person’s latest Instagram picture to the speeding ticket he got five years ago.
The greatest number of visits to the DirtSearch site comes from young females, looking to learn more about their date, Knight said. Wouldn’t you want to know if your possible Prince Charming was arrested for armed robbery last summer? Searching information about significant others was the catalyst for Knight’s inception of DirtSearch back in 2008 and its popularity in that area (among many others) has exponentially increased ever since then.
Knight recognizes that keeping up with technological advances in our mobile-centric world is required to ensure the continued popularity of his site. In January of this year, he developed an app for iOS and Android platforms to provide nearly instantaneous information, on the go. “Mobile people are much more impatient,” Knight said. Now, you can research your new guy while waiting in line at the grocery store.
At this point, the DirtSearch app is limited with its information. Because the app was created out of a necessity for speed, searching on your phone won’t give you the “deep search” that is available on dirtsearch.org. However, Knight is in the process of developing an updated version of the app, which will allow people to do more in-depth searches on people and business. These improvements to the DirtSearch app are set to go mobile in a few weeks.
Curious what DirtSearch will dig up on you? “The first thing everyone does is search themselves,” said Knight. So, go ahead. Search yourself. Before you kick last night’s date to the curb, make sure your slate is clean.
