In today’s age of a constantly updating digital presence, the quest to remove someone’s digital footprint has become a popular challenge. Born out of concerns over privacy and data security, individuals are more and more seeking out ways to minimize their online selves. Here are a few ways to remove some of your digital footprint:
Understanding Your Digital Footprint
Before delving into the strategies, it is crucial to understand the vast digital landscape.1 The internet, dominated by tech giants like Amazon, Facebook, and Google, accumulates a wealth of personal data. This data, often brokered by companies like Acxiom, Equifax, and Experian, becomes a tool for targeted advertising and poses a challenge to those aiming to disappear digitally.
A strategic approach to digital disappearance starts with these data brokers. Legislation in 2019 was passed to let over 120 firms register as data brokers, emphasizing the scale of digital data collection. Privacy databases, specifically Privacy Rights Clearinghouse’s, should be accessed to see how much information you need to worry about to reduce your digital footprint.
Controlling Google Search Results
Managing how one appears on search engines is a crucial aspect of digital footprint control. Naturally, Google’s dominance as a search engine makes it a primary focus. You should request for your data to be deleted under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or California’s Consumer Privacy Act, which introduces the “right to be forgotten” principle.2
Another more tedious (yet crucial) process of reducing your digital footprint is identifying and deleting old online accounts.3 Justdelete.me and similar platforms offer a starting point, simplifying the account deletion process. Additionally, even if your information has been removed for being outdated content from a Google search, be sure to implement your Right to be Forgotten, as the outdated information may still be in a Google cache somewhere and will still bring up the old websites despite your information being wiped from that webpage.
You may want to consider bulk-deleting old messages, especially on platforms like Gmail. Using privacy checkups to manage Google’s data collection practices doesn’t stop at just information online, it includes your email address too. If you truly was to go dark online, you should get rid of the email address you have that’s connected to a major server.
Read: Facebook Can Now Track What You Do Off of Facebook. Here’s How To Turn It Off.
Protecting Against Digital Footprint Usage and Growth
Beyond traditional data removal, there is also a pile of harmful content online. From non-consensual explicit images to doxing attempts, it is highly encouraged that you submit requests to Google for removal. Unfortunately is no guarantee that Google or any other source will remove it, but asking is better than allowing it to stay in the public eye.
For you Europeans out there, there is also a European-established “Right to be Forgotten,” that serves as a legal framework for removing specific information from search results. GDPR, incorporating this principle, becomes a valuable tool for those seeking to disappear, demonstrating the global nature of digital footprint reduction strategies.
Individuals are also encouraged to perform regular privacy audits. This promotes not only optimized personal privacy on your devices and on third-party applications but also keeps you sharp and on top of any new information that may have come to light since your last digital footprint purge. The interconnectedness of these insights underscores the holistic nature of mastering digital disappearance.
Lastly, if you would like to continue browsing the internet without new data being linked to you, consider using ‘incognito mode”.4 This web browsing style keeps you logged out of accounts, and makes you invisible to cookies and caches making it impossible to track your online movements. It definitely slows things down if you need to log into accounts but hey, the cost of online freedom is a little bit of caution.
Mastering our digital footprints requires meticulous, multifaceted strategies. However, it is clear that individuals are able to navigate the complexities of data removal, search engine management, and privacy settings. While complete disappearance may remain a lofty goal, users can reclaim control over their online presence, fostering a more private and secure digital landscape.
Keep Reading: If You Think an Apple AirTag is Tacking You, Here’s How to Find and Disable Them
Sources
- “6 Ways to Delete Yourself From the Internet.” Wired. Matt Burgess. March 1, 2022.
- “How to delete yourself from internet search results and hide your identity online.” ZD Net. Charlie Osborne. April 6, 2023.
- “6 steps to erase your digital footprint and disappear from the internet.” Yahoo. Kristine Solomon. March 25, 2023.
- “Can you disappear online? Tips on how to reduce your digital footprint.” CBS8. Danamarie McNicholl-Carter. November 11, 2022.