The internet is vast and many websites and platforms people use daily require them to create accounts. This has made it challenging for internet users to visit a platform a few times a week without leaving a permanent presence there.
Sometimes, people use a social media platform to post their thoughts and abandon their account shortly after. If those thoughts are questionable, they can resurface many years later and affect the person’s reputation.
To avoid scenarios like this, you need to actively find all the platforms you have created an account on and scrub them from the internet. This can be challenging if you choose to do it manually because you do not have the expertise.
Fortunately, you can outsource it to a reliable company like DeleteMe that has experts who can scour the internet to find and delete data relating to you.
Another reason to reduce your digital footprint is to lessen the chances of your data being sold to third-party companies that send you unsolicited sales texts and emails, and people that can use it for scams and identity theft.
The unsolicited emails can be annoying but identity theft can have severe financial consequences that you should avoid at all costs. Click to learn how to delete your account by DeleteMe.
Tips to Protect Your Digital Footprint
Your digital footprint is an aggregate of all your online activities and data. Any internet-related action you perform on your smartphone or computer like posting a picture, purchasing an item, writing a comment, visiting a website, using a search engine, and sharing a video leaves a digital trail.
This trail usually contains your IP address and personal information. IP addresses can reveal your internet service provider, zip code, and the city you are located.
Advertisers, marketers, social media companies, and even law enforcement can use it to learn your online habits and create a custom profile of you. Digital footprints are not always a negative, they can improve your browsing experience by personalizing it.
For example, when you log back into your YouTube account and it remembers exactly where you stopped watching a video; it is because of your digital footprint.
However, in the wrong hands, it can be used for phishing attacks, social engineering, and other forms of cybercrime against you. Here are some ways to protect yourself and reduce your digital footprint:
Find yourself online
The first step to reducing your digital footprint is to find out how much information about yourself is already out there. Search for yourself on different search engines and see what pops up on the first few search result pages.
Brace yourself for information about yourself that may be sensitive, false, misleading, or inaccurate. Take note of whatever you find.
Remove unwanted information
If you see information about yourself you do not want to stay up, take the steps to delete it. If you cannot do so directly, contact the administrator of the website holding this information and request them to take it down.
Alternatively, you can approach a reliable company like DeleteMe with your findings so they can take the information down on your behalf.
Use stricter privacy settings
Be more cautious when using the internet and have a “safety first” mindset. Do not accept cookies from websites you do not trust and configure your browser to randomize your IP address. If need be, mask your IP address with a VPN when performing risky internet activity.
Endnote
As an internet user, having all your information online for people to see is not in your best interest. It can be used for cybercrime or annoying marketing campaigns. In some cases, the things you have posted on social media in the past can come back to haunt you.
It is important to reduce your digital footprint and delete accounts you have created but are no longer active.
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