Do you want to erase your existence from the internet? If yes, then it is possible!
Whether it is your sensitive information, photos, social media accounts, or other stuff you have posted online, you can ask Google to delete them all from its database.
Follow this comprehensive guide to learn simple steps that will enable you to erase your digital footprints permanently. So, without wasting further minutes, let’s get straight into it!
Choose What Personal Information to Remove
Do you remember how many websites you have signed up for from the day you started the internet? We don’t even remember how often we have used our confidentiality to complete the sign-up process.
Unfortunately, we have left our data defunct sites that have become hard to trace back. Although internet scrubbing is not that easy, we will make sure to deliver you basic information that you can use to delete your traces from the internet.
Before removing your internet traces, the first step is identifying the data that needs to be scrubbed away. Here we have shared where you can withdraw your data!
Delete Your Social Media Accounts
Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform, make sure you don’t possess any inactive profiles there. If you have any inactive social media accounts, then make sure to remove them all. Because you don’t know, the data you have shared on this account can be sold to advertisers.
Delete Online Shopping, Dating, and Other Services
If you do online shopping then don’t forget that these shopping sites could have plenty of information about you that helps them to reach you via unwanted emails and messages. Removing your personal information from those sites can help you save your data from being used by any outside entity.
Remove Unused Blogs/Websites You Own
If you have unused blogs and domains that you are no longer using then remove them all from the internet. Having those unnecessary sites can put your confidential data at risk. However, by removing such sites, free blogs will surely minimize threats to your confidentiality.
Clear History From Other Search Engines That You Used
Check out your personal information on search engines that you have been using. For this, insert your cell phone number or email address in the search bar and hit the search button as the result will show you profiles or accounts created using your email address or phone number.
Delist Yourself From Data Broker Sites
Delisting yourself from the data broker site is something very essential to do in 2022! Data scraping has become an emerging industry that collects and sells personal information without users’ consent.
Several ways can help in delisting your personal information. You can make direct contact with those data scraping companies and refrain from collecting your personal information without consent. Some famous data scraping companies are BeenVerified, Acxiom, and PeopleFinder.
Deactivate Your Email Accounts
Once you have done all the steps mentioned above, now it’s time to deactivate or permanently delete your email address; if you have an email account with Yahoo, it will probably take up to 180 days to permanently deactivate or remove your account from its database. If the email address is from Google, you must delete your information from both Google and Gmail.
Revisit Your Browser’s Privacy Controls
Make sure to check out the browser configuration you are using right now! In addition, one should uphold thorough browsing privacy basics, including incorporating HTTPS. Finally, before downloading any plugin, ensure it doesn’t contain any malware or loopholes that can later put your data at risk.
Restrict your phone’s app permissions
We download unlimited applications on our cell phones; some ask your permission to access the camera or your device location. Despite permitting them, deny it!
Pay Via Virtual Money
Do you know that you are also tracked whenever you make an online purchase via credit card or PayPal? However, you can even secure it if you start paying via virtual money or Bitcoin. So remove your bank account information and start paying using virtual money instead.
Encrypt everything and route through OysterVPN
Encrypting your online surfing can save your data from breach! Using a tor browser can save you from a data breach. But it is quite slow compared to your normal browser. If you don’t want to go with the Tor browser, then having an OysterVPN connection will surely deliver you military-grade encryption while routing your total data traffic through its secure tunnel.
How To Avoid Data Collection in the Future
Although it is impossible to completely delete yourself from the internet. Especially if you are not ready to abandon internet consumption. But you can follow some safety practices to limit your access to secure and safe surfing.
- If privacy is your primary concern, you should limit your social media consumption.
- Use secure browsers and search engines that answer your privacy concerns! For this, you can use Brave or DuckDuckGo, which offers a safe and secure browsing experience.
- Connect your device with OysterVPN, as it prevents your surfing from being tracked by data scrappers.
Having the least information can save your data and privacy from potential threats! For this, one should opt for decisive security measures to delete unused data from the internet.
