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People Search vs Background Check: What’s the Difference?
26 August 2026 · 7 min read
People mix these up because both answer “who is this person?” They are not the same product, and treating them as the same can get you into legal trouble.
Quick comparison
| People search (DeepSearch) | Background check | |
|---|---|---|
| Sources | Public web pages anyone could find | Regulated consumer-report data |
| FCRA | Not a consumer reporting agency | Must follow FCRA (US) and equivalents |
| Use for hiring / housing / credit | No | Only via a compliant provider |
| What you get | Sourced public profile, socials, summary | Eligibility-related records under law |
What DeepSearch is
A research tool. It searches public profiles, posts, articles and other indexed pages and shows what it found, with links. Results can be incomplete, stale, or about the wrong person. You verify against the source.
What DeepSearch is not
Not a consumer reporting agency. Not an investigative consumer report. Not a substitute for a tenant screen, a credit file, or an employment background check. MapleByte Digital Ltd. does not sell consumer reports. If you need one of those, use a provider that is set up for that work.
The terms ban FCRA-covered use. If that is your use case, do not download the app for it.
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