Here's one technique to lessen your chances of identity theft: delete your personal information from the internet. 

And chances are, you've uploaded more personal information online than you realize. 

What drives all of this theft and fraud? Access to personal information.  

Scammers and thieves can gain personal facts in loads of methods, along with phishing assaults that trick you into handing it over, malware that steals it from your devices, shopping your facts on darkish net marketplaces, and data breaches, to name some. 

What are information broker websites? 

Think of statistics breaking websites as massive libraries of personal information. You can discover with the aid of doing an internet search for your call and address. You'll most probably encounter dozens of websites that provide facts about you, a number of which provide some pieces at no cost and others that price for a lot more. 

Data agents acquire and aggregate non-public records from numerous assets, such as: 

• Your public documents are available on line. 
• Information from social media profiles that you maintain public. 
• You go to webpages and use phone apps. 
• Along with shops who change facts related to your loyalty playing cards. 

How To Remove Your Personal Information From The Internet 

Let's take a look at numerous options to get your private information removed from fact agents and different online assets.

Request to remove data from data broker websites. 

The process begins with locating the websites that have your information. From there, you can ask to have it erased. However, as previously said, there are numerous such sites. Knowing where to begin is difficult enough, let alone manually making the requests once you've located the sites that post and sell information on you.  

Limit the data that Google collects. 

In September 2022, Google held approximately 92% of the global search engine market. Google offers more than just search, including Gmail and Google Maps. While Google provides many free tools for productivity, travel, business, and leisure, there is a cost: the collection and analysis of your personal data. 

To minimize the data associated with you, remove your name from Google search results by submitting a removal request. This will prevent anyone online from finding any results when they search your name.  Google also collects all of your surfing data on a continuous basis. You can enable "Auto Delete" under your privacy options. 

Delete outdated social media accounts and make those you keep private. 

As previously stated, data brokers can gather information from public social media profiles. Maintain a minimal social media presence. Make a list of the ones you're currently using or have previously utilized. If you no longer use previous accounts or websites like Myspace or Tumblr, consider deactivating or deleting them. 

Adjust your privacy settings on social media networks you use frequently, such as Facebook and Instagram, to limit the amount of personal information shared. 

Remove personal information from other websites/blogs. 

If you've ever produced articles, blogs, or other online content, it may be time to consider removing it if it no longer serves a useful purpose. Your posts may have revealed personal information about your life. You may also receive mentions in social media posts, articles, or blogs. It's important to contact these individuals and suggest that they remove posts that include sensitive information.  

Social media and online publications that house your personal information are frequently exploited when corporations or hackers conduct "internet scrapes" to discover new ways to use your targeted information.  

Delete unnecessary phone apps and limit the settings for those that you use. 

To reduce your digital footprint, consider removing useless phone apps. Even if an app is not open or in use, it may be able to track personal information such as your real-time location and payment information if you have a paid subscription to the app. 

Some apps even sell this data because it can be incredibly beneficial to other businesses, allowing them to target certain customer segments and profiles with advertising.