3 Steps to Shrink Your Digital Footprint

by First American

Last updated on 26 Nov 2024 2 min read

A woman in her living room browses her phone with headphones on, near an open laptop, managing her digital footprint and online privacy.

What you’ll learn (TL;DR)

How to protect your personal information by deleting old email accounts.
The importance of removing unused social media accounts to prevent security risks.
The pros and cons of using a data deletion service to manage your online presence.

Understanding Your Digital Footprint: Why It Matters

Have you ever searched your name online to see what results show up? In our connected world, keeping track of your digital footprint —the collection of information available about you online—is crucial. If this information ends up in the wrong hands, at best, you might end up the recipient of unwanted advertisements. Worse yet, with the right information, an identity thief could try to sell your home, take out a mortgage on it, or rent it out to unsuspecting tenants. Title insurance can protect your ownership and help pay for legal costs to defend your rights. Today, fewer than 1% of all mortgage applications are estimated to be fraudulent, but home title theft is on the rise . The identity thief would need access to your personal information, like your social security number, bank account information, proofs of residence, credit history, and property information. It’s a smart idea to consider what information might be available about you online and what steps you can take to help control it.

Don’t Leave Old Email Accounts Vulnerable

Our email accounts store a lot of personal information—from chats with friends and family to bank account information or even past real estate transaction details. If you’ve created multiple email accounts over the years, don’t leave the old ones unused and forgotten. Unused email accounts can be easy targets for scammers, especially if they have weak or outdated security but still hold valuable information. To help protect yourself, save any important information from these old accounts. Then, delete the ones you no longer use to keep your data safe.

Old Social Media Accounts Can Be a Security Risk

Unused social media accounts can also become a target for hackers and, depending on your privacy settings, a source of information for data brokers—companies that collect and sell information about people based on their online activities. Just like with deleting old email accounts, save any important photos or information you may have posted and then check the site settings for options to delete your account. Some social media sites will encourage you to deactivate and not delete your account, but with this option, some of your information may still be visible to others on the site. If you’re not planning to use the social media site again, go for a complete deletion to keep your data safe.

Consider a Data Deletion Service

Our Security and Privacy Center offers tips on how to request the removal of your personal information from search engines and websites, but this can be a time-consuming process. An alternate option is to invest in a data deletion service—a subscription-based service that can locate and delete your personal information from various websites and data brokers. While these services save you time and effort, they have their own set of pros and cons. They are convenient but often have ongoing fees and cannot guarantee the complete removal of your online information. To learn more, check out this Consumer Reports article , which discusses DIY deletion versus a data deletion service.

Simplify Your Digital Life

Check out this article from Norton for more quick tips to help shrink your digital footprint, like deleting unused apps from your phone. Just like with email and social media accounts, make sure to also delete any new accounts you may have created to set up and use the app.

Manage Your Digital Presence

Controlling your digital footprint is an ongoing effort. Visit Managing Your Digital Footprint tips for suggestions on being proactive when sharing on social media and browsing online.