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Given the prevailing threat of cybercrime, it is crucial for individuals to take proactive measures in order to minimize their digital footprints and decrease the chances of falling prey to potential threats and vulnerabilities.
It is alarmingly effortless to uncover personal information online, which can result in undesirable repercussions, including the discovery of embarrassing photos or negative comments by prospective employers.
Here, I present six effective methods to help you eliminate personal information from the internet.
6 Ways To Remove Personal Information From The Internet
Enhancing your privacy and safeguarding your personal data online can offer multiple advantages, including protecting your privacy, preventing online harassment, preserving a positive reputation, and avoiding potential embarrassment.
Remove Personal Information From Google Search
Google is a widely-used search engine that allows users to remove their internet presence from Google Search. To do this:
- Visit https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/9685456?hl=en and select the “Remove information you see in the Google Search” option.
- You will then be asked which information you want to remove, and you can choose between removing it from Google’s search results or from both the search results and the website itself.
- Follow the instructions to complete the request form. Then, click the Submit button.
It’s important to note that while removing data from Google can help to protect your privacy, it may still appear on other search engines.
Contact the website owner
In the past, you may have signed up with various websites to receive promotional codes or you may have subscribed to their content. Typically, for this, you are required to provide personal information such as your email address as part of the registration process.
To remove this personal data from a website, you can either go to the “Contact Us” link located on the homepage and request removal, or send a request directly to the website owner.
Opt-Out of Data Brokers (Using Incogni.com)
You may have registered on numerous websites, e-commerce platforms, and apps using personal information such as your email, bank account, and address. Unfortunately, this information can be used for malicious purposes by stalkers, scammers, or data brokers who can sell it to other parties.
The utilization of such data extends to various purposes, including marketing, recruitment, financial decision-making, and healthcare-related activities. However, it also opens the door to potential scams and phishing attempts. This can lead to a barrage of unwanted advertisements, manipulation of loan eligibility or insurance rates, and an elevated vulnerability to cyber attacks.
Removing personal information from the internet can be a time-consuming process and may not solve the problem entirely. Even if you succeed in erasing your personal presence, it may reappear in the future as brokers continue to sell your data.
To address this issue, you can perform regular checks or use an automated data removal service like Incogni. To use Incogni, follow the simple steps that are listed below:
- Visit their website at incogni.com and create an account.
- Provide the personal data you wish to erase.
- They will then contact over 180 data brokers on your behalf and request your data to be removed from their databases.
By employing this method, you save a significant amount of time that would otherwise be spent on manually fulfilling the requests, a process that could take an average person several days.
Incogni offers two subscription plans to their users. Their monthly plan which is $12.99 per month and their annual plan which works out at $6.46 per month. Incogni also has a 30-day money back guarantee so you can cancel at any time. This service helps you opt out of data brokers and remove your personal information from the internet.
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Users can easily track the progress of their requests, including identifying potential databases, monitoring sent requests, and tracking completed requests, all through the user-friendly Incogni dashboard.
Optimize Privacy Settings on Your Social Media Accounts
Social media platforms contain a lot of personal information, such as photos, phone numbers, friend lists, and locations, making them a prime target for data brokers to collect your personal information. To optimize your social media privacy, here are some tips:
- Review and adjust your privacy settings. Go through the privacy settings of each of your social media accounts and adjust them according to your preferences. This includes settings for who can see your profile, posts, and personal information.
- Regularly check your privacy settings to ensure that they are up-to-date and that there have been no unauthorized changes.
- Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account.
- Use strong passwords and change them regularly to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
- Be selective in accepting friend requests, and only accept requests from people you know and trust.
- Be mindful of what you share on social media, and avoid sharing personal information that could be used to track or identify you.
By following these tips, you can optimize your social media privacy and reduce the amount of personal information available to data brokers.
Optimize Your Device Privacy Settings
You can optimize your device’s privacy settings on both Android and iPhone devices.
For Android users, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Permission manager to review the permissions granted to each app and only allow those that are necessary. For example, granting a third-party app access to your contacts could be a potential privacy risk.
For iPhone users, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and disable the Location Services feature. Next, turn off the Tracking feature.
To review the app permissions on your iPhone, go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > tap App Privacy Report. Here, you can see insights on how apps are using the permissions you have granted them.
By optimizing your device privacy settings, you can help protect your personal information from being accessed by unauthorized parties.
Delete Unnecessary Apps
With numerous apps available for almost anything, you may have lost track of the number of apps installed on your device. Some of them may have been unused for a long time. Deleting unnecessary apps can not only free up storage on your phone but also remove your personal information that you entered.
Before uninstalling the apps, make sure to ask the developer to delete your data. Then, clear the cache and data of the apps before finally uninstalling them. By doing so, you can ensure that your personal information is removed from the app and prevent it from being accessed by unauthorized parties.
Ready to take control of your personal information and protect yourself from data brokers?
Look no further than Incogni. Join thousands of satisfied users who have reclaimed their privacy with our automated data removal service.
Take action now and follow these simple steps:
- Visit the website at incogni.com and create your account.
- Provide the personal data you want to erase.
- Sit back and relax as we contact over 180 data brokers on your behalf, ensuring your data is removed from their databases.
Say goodbye to unwanted advertisements, manipulated loan rates, and cyber attacks. With Incogni, you can regain peace of mind and enjoy a safer online experience.
Choose the plan that suits you best:
- Monthly Plan: Just $12.99 per month.
- Annual Plan: Save even more at $6.46 per month.
Plus, enjoy a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to cancel anytime hassle-free.
Track the progress of your requests, uncover potential databases, and stay in control through its user-friendly dashboard.
Don’t let data brokers profit from your personal information any longer. Take charge and opt out now with Incogni!
Visit incogni.com and start protecting your privacy today.
