Is It Possible to Erase Your Digital Footprint?
Today, it’s easier than ever for people to find sensitive and personal information about you online. With just your full name, anyone can look you up through search engines, social media platforms, and specialized personal data sites.
Besides being a major privacy concern, the availability of such online data is a goldmine for identity thieves, hackers, and scammers. It’s no surprise that:
- 84% of internet users are seriously concerned about what their digital footprints may reveal.
Controlling the amount of information available about you online is one of the most effective ways to reduce your exposure to risks such as identity theft, scams, and cyberattacks.
In this guide, we’ll explain what information scammers can uncover from your digital footprint, how to delete as much of it as possible, and how to stay safe (and private) in the future.
What Is Your Digital Footprint?
Every website you visit records information about you, and many directly solicit information from you.
All of this together forms your digital footprint — a collection of data that describes your online activity.
Your digital footprint falls into two main categories:
- Active Footprints: Data you intentionally share online, such as posts on websites, social media, and other platforms.
- Passive Footprints: Data collected without your knowledge, such as your online shopping behavior or location data.
Examples of Data in Your Active and Passive Digital Footprints:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII): If you’ve ever shared your full name, home address, phone number, date of birth, or other sensitive information online, it might be part of your digital identity. Third-party services can make this data available on people search websites or data broker platforms.
- Browsing History: Some websites track your online activity using cookies and device fingerprinting to create a profile of you. These tools provide website owners with information about other websites you visit.
- Past Online Purchases: E-commerce websites collect data about your purchases and may sell it to advertisers or marketers. While this usually leads to targeted ads, it can also provide scammers with insights into your shopping preferences and personality.
- Device and IP Data: Most websites record information about the device you use and its IP address. While this is often done for security purposes, website owners can exploit this data for other uses.
- Location Data: Many websites track your location to customize content for your region. While this is usually limited to your country or territory, some websites may collect detailed data about your city or even your home address.
- Social Media Posts: Every piece of information you share online adds data and context to your digital footprint. This includes your relationship status, vacation destinations, political affiliations, and more.
How to Find Your Digital Footprint
- Search your full name online:
- Use Google to compile your data:
- Check with data brokers:
- Run a free Dark Web scan:
How to Erase Your Digital Footprint: 8 Steps
- Remove sensitive personal data from search results.
- Delete old accounts you no longer use.
- Adjust your privacy settings on social media.
- Check and update leaked passwords.
- Disable ad tracking and location services.
- Opt out of data broker lists and people search sites.
- Use a secondary email address for added privacy.
- Start using a password manager.
How to Keep Your Personal Data Private Online
Completely removing all of your personal information from the internet is nearly impossible. However, you can take significant steps to keep your data private and prevent data brokers, scammers, and hackers from learning more about you.
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself online — starting today:
- Limit what you share online and on social media:
- Carefully review the information you share publicly. You may be giving others more access to your private life than you’d like. Share less personal information online, especially on social media and streaming platforms.
- Adjust privacy settings — especially in new apps:
- Be cautious about the privacy settings of the apps you use. Remember that many app vendors update their privacy policies over time, and new apps may have very different policies from those you’re used to.
- Enable anti-tracking tools:
- Many web browsers include anti-tracking features, and some are specifically designed for this purpose. Consider using a browser with comprehensive privacy tools to keep your information safe.
- Don’t trust “private” or “incognito” browsing:
- Most web browsers offer privacy-focused browsing, but these won’t protect you from data brokers or third-party tracking cookies. At best, they prevent others using the same device from seeing your search history.
- Use a VPN when browsing and shopping online:
- Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) encrypt your internet traffic, preventing your data from being shared online. They effectively block invasive cookies and data collection software.
- Regularly clear your browsing history and cache:
- Your browsing history and cache contain records of all the websites you’ve visited recently. Take time to review this data and delete anything you wouldn’t want others to see.
- Sign up for an identity theft protection service:
- Protecting your identity from data brokers and invasive tracking takes time and effort. Consider using a dedicated all-in-one security service like Aura to automatically safeguard your data.
All the information included in your digital footprint can be used against you.
The more scammers and identity thieves know about you, the easier it is for them to create convincing phishing emails and fake websites that target you. Protecting your data starts with awareness and taking the necessary steps to secure your privacy.
Source: aura.com
