Your Personal Information Online: How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint
The Problem: Your Private Data May Be Easier to Find Than You Think
In today’s digital world, personal information can be spread across the internet far more widely than most people realize. If you have ever searched your own name online, you have probably seen just how much private data is publicly visible.
Becoming completely unsearchable online is not easy. Still, you can take practical steps to reduce your digital footprint and make your personal information much harder to find.
If you are frustrated by seeing private details appear online, there are ways to begin removing yourself from the internet as much as possible.
The Cause: Why Your Information Keeps Showing Up
Your data can appear online for several reasons:
- Search engines may display pages that contain sensitive details
- Data collection websites gather and list personal information
- Data brokers handle and sell personal data to third parties
- Old accounts, subscriptions, posts, and comments may still be active or searchable
Some companies collect information specifically to sell it. That data is often used to improve advertising and marketing efforts. On top of that, forgotten social media profiles and unused online accounts can continue adding to your online presence.
The Solution: 4 Steps to Remove Yourself From the Internet
1. Remove Personal Search Results From Google
Google recently introduced a setting that lets you request the removal of search results containing personal information. This means you do not have to wait for website owners to take down pages that show sensitive details like your bank account, social security number, or other private data.
You can use Google’s process to request removal of search results with identifiable personal information. After Google reviews the request, the page can be removed from Google search results.
This is a legal removal request you can submit whenever it is convenient for you, and it helps clean up what appears when someone searches for you on Google.
2. Delete Yourself From Data Collection Sites
Many websites and companies collect personal data in order to sell it. Large data collection sites such as Peoplefinder.com and whitepages.com are examples of this type of business.
Their goal is to sell collected data to third parties interested in using that information. The data is often used for advertising and marketing purposes.
You can contact these sites yourself and ask to be removed, but there is also the option of using a professional service. This can be an easier and more reliable way to remove your details from major data collection websites.
One example is DeleteMe. This service removes personal details such as:
- Age
- Relatives
- Past addresses
- Photos
For $129 per year, they remove your information from hundreds of sites, which can save you many hours or even days of work. Their service is designed to help stop your personal information from spreading further across the internet and from being gathered by data brokers for resale.
3. Opt Out of Data Brokers
When people think about personal information being collected online, they may not immediately think about major data brokers. However, companies such as Experian, Acxiom, Oracle, and Equifax are among those that handle and sell personal data.
The positive news is that you can often opt out by filling out online forms or contacting them by email to request that your personal information not be sold to third parties.
The Privacy Rights nonprofit organization offers a way to check which companies allow opt-outs and how to complete them. If you have shared information with any of these companies before and never opted out of their data-sharing practices, now is the time to decide.
4. Close Accounts You No Longer Use
Many people have old accounts they created years ago and forgot about. It could be an old Myspace profile, an early Instagram account, or a Twitter account you no longer use.
Finding and deleting these accounts can make a meaningful difference in reducing your digital footprint.
This step can take time and effort. You may need to:
- Think back to the social media accounts you created in the past
- Identify the email addresses you used to sign up
- Recover passwords if you no longer have your login details
- Access the accounts and follow the deletion steps
It can also help to:
- Search through your email for old subscriptions and sign-up confirmations
- Search your email addresses on Google
- Search your usernames on Google to uncover forgotten accounts
As you close these accounts, make sure to remove any old:
- Posts
- Photos
- Comments
Final Thoughts
You may not be able to erase yourself from the internet completely, but you can greatly reduce how much of your private information is visible. By removing sensitive Google results, deleting listings from data collection sites, opting out of data brokers, and shutting down old accounts, you can take back more control over your online privacy.
