How to remove personal information from the internet and protect your privacy
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2024 5:19 am
People often choose to remove their personal information from the internet due to privacy(new window)and security concerns. For example, oversharing on social media can expose you to phishing attacks(new window), identity theft(new window), and cyberstalking.
Plus, your data is highly valuable(new window). The more you oman phone number data share online, the more advertisers use that information to target you with ads, which can feel intrusive and manipulative. By taking down your personal details and reducing your digital footprint(new window), you regain control over your online identity(new window).
This article explains how to remove your personally identifiable information(new window)from the internet and secure the data you do keep online.
What kind of personal information can I remove from the internet?
Websites and online services store hundreds or even of data points about you. Some of it is publicly available, and some of it is accessible to those online services (but could be exposed in a breach). Here are some common pieces of information that you might want to keep private:
Contact information like phone number, email address, and residential address
Social security number(new window)
Financial information like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and financial records
Health information like medical history or health insurance
Employment information like your salary or personal work contacts
Identification numbers like driver's license numbers, passport numbers, or government-issued IDs
Legal documents like scanned or digital copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, or court documents
Biographical information, such as details about your day-to-day life, family members, relationships, and personal background
Private images and videos that contain identifiable information or that you feel uncomfortable having publicly available
Internet and network information like your IP address(new window), geolocation data, or information about your internet provider(new window)or browsing habits(new window)
How your online personal information can be misused
While there are benefits to sharing online personal information, they can be easily overshadowed by harmful uses.
Plus, your data is highly valuable(new window). The more you oman phone number data share online, the more advertisers use that information to target you with ads, which can feel intrusive and manipulative. By taking down your personal details and reducing your digital footprint(new window), you regain control over your online identity(new window).
This article explains how to remove your personally identifiable information(new window)from the internet and secure the data you do keep online.
What kind of personal information can I remove from the internet?
Websites and online services store hundreds or even of data points about you. Some of it is publicly available, and some of it is accessible to those online services (but could be exposed in a breach). Here are some common pieces of information that you might want to keep private:
Contact information like phone number, email address, and residential address
Social security number(new window)
Financial information like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and financial records
Health information like medical history or health insurance
Employment information like your salary or personal work contacts
Identification numbers like driver's license numbers, passport numbers, or government-issued IDs
Legal documents like scanned or digital copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, or court documents
Biographical information, such as details about your day-to-day life, family members, relationships, and personal background
Private images and videos that contain identifiable information or that you feel uncomfortable having publicly available
Internet and network information like your IP address(new window), geolocation data, or information about your internet provider(new window)or browsing habits(new window)
How your online personal information can be misused
While there are benefits to sharing online personal information, they can be easily overshadowed by harmful uses.