While the internet has made life more convenient, its come at the cost of our privacy.
While its difficult to do so, taking back control of your digital privacy is totally possible.
See for yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Its a pity, because theyre great tools for keeping up to date with the people in your life.
Unfortunately, theyre also a goldmine for third parties who want to spy on you.
If you truly want to disappear online, deleting your social media accounts is a must.
Same deal with your demographic information.
Each of these accounts contributes to your digital footprint, increasing the risk ofdata breachesand privacy invasions.
Next, yourpassword managerwill doubtless have some accounts lurking in it that you havent touched in years.
Checking back through your email inbox is also a great way to see which accounts youve signed up for.
Even your social media profiles might be linked up to services you no longer want to use.
Some platforms allow for instant deletion but keep in mind that compliance can take time.
In some cases, you may need to directly contact customer support to ensure your data is fully removed.
Check out search engines
Even after deleting your accounts, leftover traces are indexed through search engines like Google.
They all bring up different results, so youre going to have to be thorough.
Still, its worth a shot.
Just remember that cached versions of deleted pages might still be accessible for some time.
However, your data is still being traded behind the scenes.
Data brokers collect and sell personal data to marketers, businesses, and even scammers.
Use a VPN
VPNs wont erase any data thats already on the internet.
Thats what all of the steps youve gone through previously are for.
Why erase your online presence?
The important thing is thatyourethe one making this decision about your data!
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