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Removing Personal Information

Removing Personal Information





Taking Back Your Privacy: A Complete Guide to Removing Personal Information from the Internet

In today’s digital world, removing personal information from the internet is more important than ever. Your data is scattered across social media, search engines, and data broker sites—often without your knowledge. This exposure increases your risk of identity theft, spam, and even harassment. The good news? You can take control. This guide will walk you through the steps for finding and removing personal information online to better protect your privacy.

In This Guide

Why Remove Your Personal Information?

Have you ever searched for your name online and been surprised by what you found? Old photos, your home address, phone number, or even how much you paid for your house might be available for anyone to see. This information can be used in ways you don’t want:

  • Identity thieves can use your personal details to steal your identity
  • Marketers can target you with unwanted ads and spam
  • Employers might find embarrassing posts from your past
  • Stalkers or people who wish you harm can find where you live
  • Scammers can use information about you to create convincing scams

Removing your personal information helps you take control of your privacy and security. It reduces your chances of becoming a victim and gives you peace of mind knowing that strangers can’t easily find your private details.

What Personal Information Is Online?

You might be shocked by how much of your personal information is available online. Here are the most common types:

  • Basic details: Your full name, age, birthday, and gender
  • Contact information: Home address, email addresses, and phone numbers
  • Work information: Where you work, your job title, and work history
  • Family connections: Names of your relatives, spouses, and children
  • Property records: Your home’s value, purchase price, and property tax information
  • Court records: Lawsuits, divorces, bankruptcies, and criminal records
  • Social media content: Photos, posts, comments, and likes
  • Public records: Voter registration, marriage licenses, and business filings
  • Online accounts: Dating profiles, forum memberships, and shopping accounts

All this information creates your “digital footprint” – the trail of data you leave behind as you use the internet. The bigger your footprint, the easier it is for others to learn about you and potentially misuse your information.

How to Find Your Personal Information

Before you can remove your information, you need to find out what’s out there. Here’s how to search for your personal data:

  1. Google yourself: Search for your full name in quotes (like “John Smith”). Then try adding your city, job, or school to narrow down results that match you. Look through at least the first 5 pages of results.
  2. Check data broker sites: Visit popular people-search sites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages, and Intelius. Search for yourself and see what comes up.
  3. Review social media: Look at all your social media accounts. Check what information is visible to the public by logging out and viewing your profiles.
  4. Search image results: Go to Google Images and search your name to find photos of you across the web.
  5. Check your email address: Search for your email addresses to see where they appear online.
  6. Look for old accounts: Try to remember websites you’ve signed up for in the past and check if those accounts still exist.

As you find your information, make a list of where it appears so you can track your removal progress. This might take time, but knowing what’s out there is the first step to removing it.

Search engines like Google show information from other websites. While they don’t own the information, they can help hide it from search results in some cases:

Google Removal Process:

Google may remove certain types of harmful content from search results, including:

  • Personal information that could lead to identity theft (Social Security numbers, bank account numbers)
  • Explicit images shared without your consent (revenge porn)
  • Doxxing content (posting your home address with harmful intent)
  • Information that could lead to financial harm

To request removal from Google:

  1. Go to Google’s “Remove select personally identifiable info (PII) or doxxing content from Google Search” page
  2. Fill out the form with details about the website and the information you want removed
  3. Submit your request and wait for Google’s decision
  4. You’ll get an email with the result – if denied, you can appeal

Bing Removal Process:

Microsoft’s Bing search engine also has a process for removing certain content:

  1. Visit Bing’s “Content Removal” tool
  2. Choose the reason for removal from their list
  3. Submit the URLs you want removed
  4. Provide your contact information
  5. Wait for their decision

Remember that removing information from search engines doesn’t delete it from the original website. It just makes it harder to find. You’ll still need to contact the website directly to fully remove your information.

Cleaning Up Social Media

Social media sites contain tons of personal information that you’ve shared over the years. Here’s how to clean them up:

Facebook:

  1. Review your profile information and remove or hide personal details
  2. Go to Settings > Privacy to control who sees your posts
  3. Use the “Activity Log” to find and delete old posts
  4. Remove tags of yourself in photos and posts
  5. Consider using Facebook’s “Privacy Checkup” tool

Twitter/X:

  1. Review and edit your profile information
  2. Set your account to private if you don’t want public visibility
  3. Delete old tweets (or use a tweet deletion service for bulk removal)
  4. Remove your location information from tweets

Instagram:

  1. Review and update your profile information
  2. Set your account to private
  3. Remove location tags from posts
  4. Delete photos that show personal information

LinkedIn:

  1. Adjust your profile visibility settings
  2. Control who can see your connections
  3. Review and remove any personal contact information

For each platform, go through your privacy settings carefully. Many social networks have settings buried deep in menus that allow your information to be shared in ways you might not expect.

Removing Information from Data Brokers

Data brokers collect and sell your personal information. These companies create profiles about you and sell them to marketers, employers, and sometimes scammers. Removing your data from these sites takes time but is worth the effort.

Here’s how to remove your information from major data brokers:

Manual Removal Process:

For each data broker, you’ll generally follow these steps:

  1. Find your profile on their website
  2. Look for an “opt-out” or “privacy” link (usually at the bottom of the page)
  3. Follow their specific removal process – this may involve:
  • Filling out an online form
  • Sending an email request
  • Mailing a written request with proof of ID
  • Calling their customer service
  1. Keep records of all your removal requests
  2. Check back after 30 days to make sure your information is gone

Major Data Brokers to Contact:

  • Spokeo: Find the “Privacy” link at the bottom of the page
  • BeenVerified: Search for your records, then look for the opt-out page
  • Intelius: Find their opt-out page and complete the form
  • Whitepages: Search your name, find your listing, then use the “Remove Info” option
  • PeopleFinders: Use their opt-out form on their privacy page
  • Radaris: Find your profile, click “Control Info” and follow instructions
  • MyLife: Contact customer service and request removal
  • TruthFinder: Email their privacy team with your removal request
  • Instant Checkmate: Fill out their opt-out form

This process is time-consuming because there are hundreds of data brokers. Focus on the biggest ones first, then work your way down the list.

Deleting Old Accounts

Old accounts you no longer use can still hold personal information. Here’s how to find and delete them:

  1. Make a list of all online accounts you remember creating
  2. Check your email for old account confirmations or newsletters
  3. Look through password managers or saved passwords in your browser
  4. For each account, visit the website and look for:
  • Account settings
  • Privacy settings
  • Delete account option (often hidden in “Help” or “Support” sections)
  1. Follow the deletion process for each account
  2. If you can’t find a way to delete an account, contact customer support

Some sites make it intentionally difficult to delete accounts. If you can’t delete an account completely, try these steps:

  1. Remove as much personal information as possible
  2. Change your name and other details to fake information
  3. Use a new, random email address
  4. Delete or change your profile picture

Opting Out of Data Collection

Many companies collect your data when you browse the internet or use apps. You can reduce this by opting out of data collection:

Browser Settings:

  • Use privacy-focused browsers like Firefox or Brave
  • Turn on “Do Not Track” in your browser settings
  • Regularly clear your cookies and browsing history
  • Use private/incognito mode when browsing

Opt-Out Programs:

  • Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): Visit their Consumer Choice Page to opt out of targeted advertising
  • Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): Use their Consumer Opt-Out tool
  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): If you live in California, use the “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” links on websites

Device Settings:

  • On iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track”
  • On Android: Go to Settings > Google > Ads and turn on “Opt out of Ads Personalization”

Remember that opting out doesn’t remove information that’s already been collected; it just reduces future data collection.

Protecting Your Information in the Future

Once you’ve removed your information, keep it private with these habits:

Be Careful What You Share:

  • Think twice before posting personal details online
  • Don’t share your full birthdate, address, or phone number
  • Avoid posting photos that show your home or workplace
  • Don’t announce when you’re away from home

Use Privacy Settings:

  • Set social media accounts to private
  • Regularly review app permissions on your phone
  • Use strong, unique passwords for each account
  • Enable two-factor authentication for important accounts

Be Anonymous When Possible:

  • Use a nickname or just your first name in online forums
  • Consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to hide your location
  • Use different email addresses for different purposes
  • Pay for privacy services when available (like domain privacy for websites)

Creating good privacy habits now will save you from having to remove information again in the future.

Information Removal Services

If the DIY approach seems overwhelming, you can pay for services that remove your information for you:

Popular Removal Services:

  • DeleteMe: Removes your info from data brokers and keeps it removed
  • Incogni: Continuously contacts data brokers on your behalf
  • OneRep: Scans for your information and sends removal requests
  • PrivacyDuck: Offers different levels of privacy protection
  • ReputationDefender: Focuses on both privacy and online reputation

What to Consider:

  • Cost: Most services charge $100-300 per year
  • Coverage: Check which data brokers they contact
  • Guarantees: Understand what they promise to remove
  • Timeline: Know how long the process will take

These services can save you time, but they can’t remove everything. Some information can only be removed by you personally.

In some cases, you may need legal help to remove harmful information:

When to Consider Legal Action:

  • If someone is posting false information about you
  • If private images are being shared without your consent
  • If information is causing you harm (like harassment or stalking)
  • If a website refuses to remove your sensitive personal information

Legal Approaches:

  • Cease and desist letter: A lawyer can write a letter demanding removal
  • DMCA takedown: If someone is using your copyrighted content
  • Court order: A judge can order content to be removed
  • Right to be forgotten: In Europe, you can request search engines remove certain results

Legal help costs money, but it might be worth it for serious privacy violations. Start by consulting with a lawyer who specializes in internet privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely remove all my information from the internet?

Unfortunately, no. It’s nearly impossible to remove every trace of yourself from the internet. Public records, archived pages, and information shared by others will likely remain. However, you can significantly reduce your digital footprint by following the steps in this guide.

How long does the removal process take?

Removing your information is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Initial cleanup might take 2-3 months of consistent effort. After that, you’ll need to check periodically (every 3-6 months) to make sure your information hasn’t reappeared.

Is it worth paying for removal services?

It depends on your situation. If you have the time and patience, you can do most removals yourself for free. Paid services are helpful if you’re short on time, not tech-savvy, or have serious privacy concerns.

What if a website refuses to remove my information?

If a website won’t remove your information, try these steps:

  1. Contact the website owner directly
  2. Ask Google to remove it from search results
  3. File a complaint with your local data protection authority
  4. Consult with a lawyer about legal options

Will data brokers put my information back online after I remove it?

Yes, many data brokers will re-add your information over time as they collect new data. This is why removal is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.

What about information in public records?

Public records (like property ownership, court records, voter registration) are legally public and generally can’t be removed. However, you can sometimes request that sensitive information be redacted or sealed, especially if you can prove safety concerns.

Protecting Your Digital Footprint

Taking control of your personal information online isn’t just about privacy—it’s about safety. In today’s world, where data is collected, bought, and sold constantly, being careless with your information can put you at real risk.

Remember these key points:

  • Your personal information has value—treat it that way
  • Removing your data is an ongoing process, not a one-time task
  • Being proactive is easier than cleaning up afterward
  • You have the right to control your private information

Start small by focusing on the biggest sources of personal information, like data broker sites and social media. Then work your way through the other areas. Each piece of information you remove helps build a safer, more private life online.

Don’t get discouraged if it seems overwhelming at first. Even removing some of your information is better than doing nothing. Take it step by step, and over time, you’ll significantly reduce your digital footprint.

The internet doesn’t have to know everything about you. With the strategies in this guide, you can take back your privacy and enjoy greater peace of mind in the digital world.

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