The background companies we go through here in the US aren’t “random people” and you sign a release of that information for them when they start that background check. So you’ve given them permission to access that info on you. I don’t know what HRs your dealing with but if it’s random hiring managers asking you then they have no idea what’s in a typical background check anyway.
That book is my white whale. I’ve tried 4 or 5 times to read that thing and I’ve never made it to the part where they start hunting whales.