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ZDNET key takeaways
- Your on-line footprint is larger than you assume.
- Private knowledge can resurface lengthy after you delete it.
- True digital privateness takes fixed consideration.
Holding a decent lid on the net knowledge linked to you, your life, and your habits is changing into more and more essential — and troublesome.
A PC, cell gadget, or perhaps a smartwatch with an web connection permits us to remain linked with family and friends, work, keep entertained, monitor our well being and habits, and deal with our funds. However advantages apart, the way you symbolize your self, and the way others see you, on social media and different on-line platforms can have an actual impression in your profession prospects, repute, and relationships.
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A misjudged tweet from years in the past, an inappropriate Fb photograph tied to your title, an embarrassing video, or a controversial TikTok can have real-world penalties. That is not all: Entrepreneurs continuously invade your privateness by scraping publicly accessible info on you, your public profiles, and your search historical past for focused advertising and marketing.
You might also have to wipe the slate clear attributable to abuse or stalking.
Whereas it may be practically unattainable to take away your digital footprint, there are tried and examined steps that may assist you to take management of your privateness and knowledge. Observe our information beneath to seek out out the place to start out.
1. Run a Google search
Google’s search engine supplies hyperlinks and web site addresses to customers in response to look queries, however until the fitting controls are in place, your search queries might be cataloged for advertising and marketing functions. Then again, Google can be used to uncover precisely what details about you is within the public area.
Additionally: How to remove your personal info from Google Search – it’s quick and easy
Not each search engine will reveal the identical outcomes. Check out different serps, corresponding to Bing, for a extra complete look.
As soon as you already know what’s on-line about you, you can begin tackling the issue. Run a fast seek for your full title and be aware any web site domains that flag you, social media account hyperlinks, YouTube movies, and anything of curiosity. You might also need to test picture outcomes, too.
Ideas for safe looking and looking out
- To enhance your privateness and cut back your on-line footprint, forestall serps from cataloging your queries. This info can be utilized to create a profile of your pursuits, product selections, and extra, which might then be bought to advertising and marketing companies.
- We advocate utilizing the Brave browser for one of the best safe looking expertise. DuckDuckGo — accessible as a browser or a search engine — can also be a wonderful alternative to stop private knowledge assortment.
Take a look at our suggestions: The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested
2. Test ChatGPT
You possibly can ask the AI chatbot what info is publicly accessible on you. The AI chatbot is not all the time absolutely dependable, however it can provide you an outline of what info is floating across the web and tied to your title — and this will likely embrace your profession, training, weblog posts, pictures, and extra.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s mum or dad firm, filed an April 2025 lawsuit in opposition to OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in coaching and working its AI techniques.)
Additionally: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner’s guide to the most popular AI chatbot
Whereas you’ll yield higher outcomes with serps, this step can also be price taking.
3. The precise to be forgotten
Within the EU, residents can request the removing of knowledge from Google search outcomes. After filling in this form, requests are reviewed by Google staff on a case-by-case foundation. You should present the particular URLs you need to be delisted, search queries associated to those URLs, and you have to clarify why the tech big ought to conform to your request with a stable argument and proof.
The extra info you’ll be able to present, the higher.
“Broadly, the reviewer will take into account whether or not and the way the knowledge could also be within the public curiosity and weigh this in opposition to your rights underneath the relevant knowledge safety legislation,” Google says. “There are a number of the explanation why info could also be within the public curiosity. As a part of the balancing train, Google appears to plenty of completely different sources, corresponding to the rules developed by European data protection regulators.”
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Google adheres to the information safety legal guidelines in your space however could not settle for each request to take away hyperlinks about you.
Causes given for refusal embrace technical points, duplicate URLs, info deemed “strongly within the public curiosity,” and whether or not the content material on an internet web page pertains to skilled life, previous convictions, work positions, or self-authored content material.
On the time of writing, Google has received roughly 1.88 million delisting requests and round 7.4 million URL delisting requests. Over three million URLs have been delisted after assessment.
If you’re a resident of the U.S. or elsewhere, you could possibly request that limited information be faraway from search outcomes, corresponding to telephone numbers or dwelling addresses that could possibly be used for identification theft and will have been leaked by doxxing.
4. Go to Have I Been Pwned
You possibly can’t management your digital footprint with out figuring out the place and what info regarding you is saved. However simply as essential is figuring out whether or not any information on you may have been leaked on-line.
The Have I Been Pwned service, run by cybersecurity skilled Troy Hunt, generally is a great tool for figuring out whether or not any of your account info has been compromised or included in a knowledge breach. Contemplating how widespread knowledge breaches now are, it is possible.
Additionally: Your logins could be among 180M just added to Have I Been Pwned – how to check for free
Should you discover an e mail deal with or phone variety of yours has been “pwned” — in different phrases, you may have been linked to an information breach — test to see what leaks you’re concerned in. There will probably be a message alongside the traces of, “Oh no — pwned! Pwned in 9 knowledge breaches and located no pastes.”
Do not panic. Nearly all of us will probably be linked to an information breach. As an alternative, concentrate on altering any passwords you may have used on compromised accounts, as they’re now susceptible — and make sure you aren’t utilizing them for every other providers.
You will not be capable of do a lot concerning the knowledge leak itself, however it may additionally function a reminder of the net accounts you have opened however now not use. Contemplate deleting any accounts you now not want.
5. Run a Google safety checkup
Go to your Google Account page, the place you’ll find quite a few settings to spice up your privateness, cut back knowledge assortment, or take away your self from the ecosystem altogether for those who use providers corresponding to Gmail or Google Search.
- Privateness checkup: The Google Privacy checkup lets you inform Google to cease saving search queries and your location historical past.
You possibly can select to disallow Google from saving internet and app actions, Chrome historical past, voice and audio, and different knowledge.
Google features a YouTube historical past autodelete operate that permits you to request that any YouTube logs older than three months be robotically wiped.
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You can even select whether or not to permit Google to make use of your info for tailor-made promoting and what you need to occur to the information in your account if it goes inactive.
- Safety checkup: The Google Security checkup can present you which of them units can entry your account, together with laptops, PCs, and handsets. You can even discover a listing of third-party functions which were granted permission to entry your account. Revoke permissions as obligatory.
- Obtain your knowledge: To seek out out precisely what knowledge Google holds on you, head over to Google Takeout. You possibly can obtain an archive of your info, together with entry logs, calendar information, Chrome knowledge, Drive information, and extra.
- Delete me: Discovered underneath Account Preferences, Google’s deletion service can be utilized to delete choose merchandise or take away your account solely. You can even obtain a replica of all of your knowledge.
- Personalised adverts, search outcomes: If you wish to persist with Google’s search engine, you’ll be able to nonetheless ask the corporate not to show you outcomes primarily based on knowledge related along with your Google account. As well as, you’ll be able to ask for no customized adverts.
- Fast tip: Should you lately upgraded your telephone, pill, or one other gadget and now not use your outdated one, be sure to signal out of any and all accounts, or they could be compromised if that gadget falls into the flawed arms.
6. Use a knowledge removing service
Knowledge brokers are one other means to your info to finish up on-line or within the arms of corporations with out your specific consent — and, because of scraping, bots, and automatic knowledge assortment, making an attempt to regulate this manually could be very time-consuming.
Nonetheless, there are glorious on-line providers that can maintain your info out of the arms of knowledge brokers.
One among our favorites is Incogni, operated by Surfshark. This knowledge removing service is hands-off, would not require any technical data to make use of, and robotically sends removing requests in your behalf to U.S. knowledge brokers and past.
After placing it to the test, I discovered that it shortly eliminated entries containing my PII and frequently enforced deletion by automated requests — a vital side of staying out of knowledge dealer databases, since nothing is stopping them from reacquiring your knowledge. Incogni additionally asks that its customers be positioned on suppression lists, which can assist forestall their info from reappearing on folks search web sites or in knowledge dealer techniques.
Additionally: Incogni vs. DeleteMe: I compared the two best data removal services, and there’s a clear winner
Customized removals for focused web sites or URLs are additionally accessible.
We have compiled a listing of one of the best providers that may assist you to take away public search outcomes, information, and drive organizations to adjust to knowledge safety legal guidelines and delete your info. Alongside Incogni, we additionally advocate providers, together with DeleteMe.
Additionally: The best data removal services of 2025: Delete yourself from the internet
7. Lock down your social media
Your social media accounts, together with Fb, X, Instagram, and TikTok, are gold mines filled with delicate knowledge. If you’re critical about deleting your self from the web, it’s good to both lock them down or delete them. Here is how.
Additionally: How to delete Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram – if you want Meta out of your life
Fb
Within the Settings tab, you’ll be able to obtain all of Fb’s info on you. Within the Privateness tab, you need to prohibit your posts to “pals solely,” restrict your previous posts, and resolve whether or not to disallow lookups utilizing your offered e mail deal with or telephone quantity.
You even have the choice to take away your Fb profile from search engine outcomes exterior of the social networking platform. Underneath the Location tab, take into account turning off Fb’s location knowledge assortment, too.
Should you take a look at Apps and Web sites, you’ll be able to see what’s linked to your Fb account. Should you select to delete these, Fb may also robotically take away posts, movies, and occasions that the linked service has posted in your behalf.
I might additionally counsel you go to Settings > Digital camera roll sharing ideas and switch this function off, because it permits Fb to learn your digital camera roll to make sharing ideas.
X
For my part, Twitter, now referred to as X following Elon Musk’s acquisition, has misplaced a lot of its helpful safety and privateness options. Nonetheless, for those who’re nonetheless on Twitter, head to the Settings tab to obtain an archive of your knowledge, prohibit your posts, or delete your account.
Pay cautious consideration to the Knowledge Sharing and Personalization part. There, you’ll be able to handle advert preferences, knowledge sharing, and whether or not to permit X to make use of an “Inferred Id” to personalize your expertise — in different phrases, an identification created by exercise on units you haven’t logged into X with.
Bluesky
Should you’ve moved from Twitter to Bluesky, go to Privacy and Security to lock down your account.
A function you would possibly discover notably helpful is the “Logged out Visibility” possibility. Should you allow this setting, Bluesky could not present your profile and posts to logged-out customers.
Fb-owned Instagram has plenty of privacy settings you too can change to keep up a suitable degree of privateness.
By default, anybody can view your images and movies in your Instagram account until you’re a minor, during which case your account must be non-public by default. Nonetheless, by going to your profile, clicking Settings, Account Privateness, and switching “Non-public account” on, you can also make certain your content material is barely considered by authorised customers.
TikTok
Underneath Extra > Handle Account, you’ll be able to select to make your TikTok account non-public or delete it solely. You can even obtain an archive of your info.
Should you go to the Adverts tab, you’ll be able to handle how adverts are customized, disable customized adverts solely, and likewise request that TikTok clear any info that advertisers have shared about you. This course of can take as much as 30 days.
8. Contemplate deleting social media
Take away all the pieces: A extra excessive possibility is to delete your whole main social media accounts.
On Facebook, go to Settings & Privateness > Settings > Your Fb Data, then click on Deactivation & Deletion to deactivate it. This provides you the choice to return later and doesn’t instantly delete your knowledge. Your settings, images, and different content material are saved, however your Fb presence won’t seem past unclickable textual content.
You can even completely delete your account. If in case you have bother discovering this setting, you’ll be able to kind “delete Fb” within the Assist Heart tab. You might be given a grace interval to vary your thoughts and log again in. It will possibly take as much as 90 days for content material in your Fb wall and in your account to be deleted.
Additionally: How to delete your X/Twitter account for good (and protect your data)
To deactivate X, it’s good to click on on Your Account after which click on Deactivate Your Account. Your account will probably be deactivated for 30 days, and if you don’t log in throughout this era, will probably be completely deleted.
On Bluesky, head to Account, the place you’ll be able to both deactivate or delete your account.
To delete your Instagram account, log in and go to the request deletion web page. Upon getting submitted a solution as to why you’re deleting your account, you may be prompted to re-enter your password, after which a delete account possibility will seem.
Over at TikTok, go to Privateness and Settings, Account Management, and click on Delete Account.
9. Wipe outdated accounts, web sites, and weblog posts
Is it essential to protect what you had for breakfast one morning in 2020 or your assessment of a now-closed retailer close to you? No.
Effort and time are required to comb by outdated posts, however the result’s price it, and this will likely additionally practice you to be extra selective concerning the info you share sooner or later. Except the account is one you employ ceaselessly, take into account completely deleting it.
It may be a ache to seek out, bear in mind, and get well credentials for outdated accounts, however that is a vital step in locking down your knowledge.
Additionally: The best password managers of 2025: Expert tested
To seek out your outdated accounts, go to Have I Been Pwned, test the lists of linked apps in your Fb and Google accounts, and, when you’ve got a password manager, test it for the credentials of accounts you may have used since signing up.
You’ll have to manually log in to every account you need to take away and, relying on the service, both delete your info there or contact the service supplier to request removing.
Justdeleteme.com is a useful listing containing guides to eradicating accounts from numerous on-line providers and rankings of how exhausting every kind of account is to take away, starting from “straightforward” to “unattainable.”
10. Conceal your self
Should you can’t delete on-line accounts outright and may solely deactivate them, earlier than you do, disguise as a lot content material on them as attainable. If the account is now not related to you, take into account altering its title and private particulars, and eradicating or changing images with generic options.
In terms of lively accounts, corresponding to on Fb or Twitter, anonymity or aliases will help maintain your digital and bodily presence separate.
It’s in opposition to most phrases of service to make use of a reputation aside from your full, appropriate title, however it’s nonetheless widespread apply for a lot of to vary their surname, not less than to stop work and private accounts — and lives — from colliding. You can even delete private images and alter them to one thing that does not determine you.
11. Bonus: Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) can masks your IP deal with and create a personal tunnel between you and on-line providers. Knowledge and communication packets despatched between a browser and servers are encrypted, which might forestall eavesdroppers from harvesting your info or monitoring your on-line exercise.
There are providers on the market which are each subscription-based and free. It’s usually higher to join a paid VPN service for those who can — no VPN service is truly “free” given the price of creating and sustaining the infrastructure required to route visitors.
I like to recommend NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark for many VPN customers. They supply dependable, quick, and safe on-line looking and streaming, and may forestall you from being tracked on-line.
Additionally: Best VPN services 2025: Our top picks for speed and security
If you wish to additional anonymize your footprint, think about using the Tor onion router network or the brand new Mullvad Browser.
How do I restrict what entrepreneurs ship and see?
One other method to maintain your digital footprint clear of particles is to separate on-line providers between e mail accounts. If it’s good to present an e mail deal with for a one-off buy, think about using a junk e mail deal with — which can shortly replenish with promotional materials however will maintain your main e mail deal with from being added to extra advertising and marketing databases.
For instance, you can arrange two Gmail accounts, one as a main and one as a delegate for spam and potential junk.
What can I do to delete embarrassing or specific content material on-line?
You’ll have come throughout embarrassing discussion board posts or messages that you just shouldn’t have the privileges required to delete — or it’s possible you’ll uncover that delicate private pictures or movies of you may have been shared with out your permission.
Step one you need to take is to contact organizations and site owners immediately.
Whenever you contact them, embrace a hyperlink to the content material you’re involved about, give your causes, and hope they comply with delete it. Nonetheless, don’t count on an instantaneous response.
An exception to that is specific content material and what is called revenge porn: If intimate pictures have been shared out of spite, you’ll possible have extra success in getting them quickly eliminated, particularly from social networks.
It is essential to attempt to get the pictures or movies taken down as shortly as attainable, not solely to scale back viewership but in addition to guard your psychological well being.
Should you can, attain out to family and friends and ask them to report offending posts or e mail site owners in your behalf. In case your pictures and movies have been uploaded to pornography providers anonymously, nevertheless, you may be in for extra of a battle — and it could be time to get legislation enforcement companies concerned.
If you’re a U.S. sufferer of on-line, intimate picture abuse, you too can attain out to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative.
You have to analysis your native legal guidelines and discover out if the particular person posting your content material could possibly be prosecuted. For instance, revenge porn in the UK is prohibited, and there are circumstances of perpetrators being jailed. If you’re a minor, please speak to a trusted mum or dad or guardian and allow them to assist you to.
What can I do if issues have gone too far on-line?
Ranging from scratch could seem excessive, however it could possibly be price contemplating in some circumstances. The outright deletion of e mail accounts, social media, and e-commerce providers will not instantly destroy your whole knowledge or search outcomes linked to them, however it’ll, over time, make them much less prone to seem.
Simply make sure that earlier than you’re taking this irrevocable step, you may have backed up any knowledge you need to maintain, corresponding to irreplaceable images you uploaded to social media or doc scans stashed away in your e mail inbox.
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