When you have spent any considerable time online within the previous couple of years, you might have read about the importance of ensuring that nothing you write or upload online can be used against you anytime. It is easy for people and companies to find personal information about you when you have several social networking accounts or other online accounts.
But are you able to delete yourself from the internet completely? Maybe. It may need several steps and also a couple of minutes of your time, but you may try to remove your online information for the most part (several data might not be erasable, though) — here is how you can do it.
The Steps
- Discover how much is recognized you already. This can be the simple part. Just open up your internet browser, try to find your name, and see where details about you appears. Ensure that you look at images as well. Oftentimes an image might be linked to a webpage which has more details about you or even your family.
- Take a look at the social media accounts. Sign out of all accounts, and then try to find your name. Examine what you can see. Can you get a lot of sensitive information and things such as personal photos? If that’s the case, adjust your privacy settings (you will need to sign back in to get this done) and ensure that most of the information you post is private – or, better yet, delete it completely.
- Contact website owners when information about you is published on several site which you’re not acquainted with. Just ask that the name along with any information about your life be deleted. In many instances, website owners are happy to remove this information for you.
- Never keep credit card or even other financial information online. When you use websites like Amazon, think about using an alternative email account (never use your main email) – although this might seem inconvenient, this can make it a bit difficult for cyber criminals to target you. If you do not use an account any longer, get rid of it. There’s no point in letting your personal financial information linger.
- Browse in private mode. Almost all web browsers come with a private mode setting (same like the web browser that you use on the phone or tablet!). Surf in private when you can.
- Check with people you already know not to publish photos or even details about you online. Make clear the reasons, after which ask to get anything that relates to you deleted.
Caution: Don’t Delete!
When you are in a legal case, it is not advisable that you actively attempt to delete any online data. Why? The act of removal might be incriminating. You may, however, create some posts private and also publish only private information about your life down the road.
