Most of us spend considerable time online, which makes digital online privacy popular news. Cambridge Analytica was making headlines about the processing and collection of Facebook user information. It elucidates that the data we put online remains there and adds to the overall digital footprint.
The dating apps share user data with various third parties! Also, the fact that today, there is more scope for federated log-ins leads to increased data accessible about you. And all these make it simpler for brands to keep sharing that information and target more sales. Hence, it is essential to find ways to minimize your digital footprint.
Are there any measures that will help you to limit your online visibility than what it is in the present? If you are looking for a solution, the following steps can help:
Deactivate/delete old social network and shopping accounts
If you don’t use a particular social media account, deactivate it. Also, check your browser history to analyze if you have an eCommerce site registration that you don’t use, or that doesn’t cater to your purpose. If you haven’t used it over two or three years, delete your registration.
Deactivate your old email address
Check the number of email accounts you have used over the years. If two email accounts are non-functional, you don’t need to keep the concerned email ids any further. Keep one or two emails at best, for professional and personal use at best. It’s a wise decision to deactivate the rest.
Opt-in for the incognito mode
Today, the internet browsers provide private browsing choices, so that you don’t get tracked by third parties. You can use the incognito mode or privacy tools like Tor to minimize the digital footprint.
Don’t be present in the digital data collection websites
You can visit a data broker site and manage each separately! Alternatively, you can opt-in for a service that will delete all the data for an annual cost.
Keep a check on the privacy settings
You need to keep track of privacy settings for the sites that you use regularly! It is especially true for social media sites. It will enable you to check your privacy level and modify it from time to time. Always make the privacy setting more rigid.
Stay away from draft surveys
Today, Clickbait gets considered a part of the new-age internet. However, with every social quiz and games, such as, ‘Which Game of Thrones character are you?” and other surveys, you are submitting some information about you. Before you take part in these fun quizzes and polls, think twice about the information you are putting on display.
Request a site to eliminate you directly from their database
Visit the websites where you have an account and request for your account deactivation/deletion. If you need assistance, you can use JustDeleteMe and other services to find out how complex or secure the task is.
Today, it is impossible to prevent all your data from reaching the advertisers and third-party service providers. However, when you follow the steps mentioned above, you can minimize your exposure to a considerable extent. It also brings down the percentage of cold calls and email spams. It can prevent malicious identity theft, which otherwise can lead to financial issues that are challenging to resolve.
