The world depends heavily on the internet for day-to-day activities. Banking, education, transportation, travel, communication, and many other vital functions rely on the internet as much as ever. Indeed, the internet offers excellent utility, but it also has privacy risks that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
“The internet doesn’t forget,” as they say. Hence, it’s no surprise many people seek to scrub their information off the internet. A recent global survey revealed that 70% of people have taken steps to protect their online identity. These steps include using encrypted messaging services, deleting social media accounts, disabling third-party cookies, and changing default privacy settings on devices.
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Why do people want to scrub their information from the web?
Privacy is the main reason. Too much of your information being online makes you vulnerable to significant risks. For example, hackers often leverage personal information found online to break into people’s online accounts. Some malicious actors steal identities for nefarious purposes, e.g., to open bank accounts under false pretenses.
Removing personal information, such as your phone number and home address, increases privacy. However, it can be challenging to delete information from numerous sources on the web. This guide will explain proven ways to help you remove as much information as possible.
How to remove your personal information from the web
1. Use data removal services
Many platforms offer professional data removal services. These platforms employ skilled personnel to find and delete your personal information from websites, databases, and other online sources. However, you should be careful when choosing a data removal provider, as this sector is rife with dodgy services charging significant fees for little value.
Optery, DeleteMe, and Kanary are some of the best data removal services in 2024. Optery offers both automated and manual remover services for 300+ websites, including the most popular social media platforms. DeleteMe employs experts who can sift through and remove your personal data from over 750 data broker sites. Kanary helps remove your data from over 1,000 websites.
However, data removal services can get expensive. DeleteMe charges $99 to $2,499 to delete your data, depending on the type and volume. Kanary charges $180 annually to use its platform.
2. Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is one of the simplest ways to protect your data online. It routes your online activities through an encrypted server, hiding your information from third parties and disguising your location.
For instance, you could be in the U.S. and route your browser requests through a server based in Japan. Because of the Japanese IP address, any website you visit thinks your device is in Japan. A VPN adds an extra layer of encryption to prevent third parties like ISPs, government agencies, and malicious actors from snooping on your online information. It also lets you bypass website geo-restrictions. NordVPN and Surfshark are two of the best VPNs you can use.
3. Change your default privacy settings
Your device’s default settings aren’t optimized for maximum privacy. But you change them to minimize the chances of third parties harvesting your personal data.
For instance, Android smartphones have pre-installed Google apps, including Maps. By default, Google Maps can access your real-time location and track your movement. Your location data is often used to serve personalized search results, but it presents a risk for privacy-conscious users. You can mitigate this risk by denying mobile apps access to your location data.
iPhone users can turn off the Allow Apps to Request to Track option, preventing apps from sharing your information for marketing purposes. You can also block your iPhone from sharing geolocation data with apps. This action reduces the chances of your personal information getting leaked online.
4. Delete your social media accounts
Social media is the easiest way to discover people’s personal information. You’d be surprised what someone can infer about you by scrolling through your social media profiles. Deleting these profiles is a good step towards removing your personal information from the web.
Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Reddit are the most popular social platforms people scour for personal information, so delete them first. You can also delete your profiles on less popular platforms, as malicious actors often crisscross the web in search of personal information.
5. Turn off third-party cookies
Many websites install small data blocks called "cookies" on your browser. These cookies track, personalize, and save information about your browsing sessions. For example, they let websites remember your login details, removing the need to enter your username and password repeatedly.
However, cookies increase privacy risks: third parties can use them to profile your browsing habits and get your personal data. You can completely block cookies on your browser settings to mitigate this risk. Blocking cookies can affect your user experience, but it’s a worthwhile tradeoff for removing your data from the web.
6. Use encrypted messaging apps
Encrypted messaging apps reduce the risks of your personal information leaking to the broader web. Seek messaging apps with end-to-end encryption, such as Signal and Threema. With end-to-end encryption, even the apps’ admins can’t decrypt your messages. Your message is encrypted once you send it and appears in decrypted form only for the intended recipient.
Encrypted messaging apps protect your sensitive information from unauthorized third parties. It significantly reduces the chances of your data getting stolen and leaked online.
7. Uninstall unused apps
Your mobile device might have apps you haven't opened in a while. These apps might collect user data in the background, increasing the risk of your personal information getting leaked.
A simple solution is to delete unused apps from your smartphone. You can also review the existing apps and turn off any data collection. Most smartphones provide an easy way to do this via a Settings menu.
Final Words
You’re in good company if you seek to remove personal information from the web. Research shows that most people try to scrub or reduce the volume of their personal information available on the web. There’s no silver bullet to go about it, but this guide has explained some proven ways to delete your data and maximize your online privacy.
