Having your personal information scattered across the internet increases your risk of falling victim to identity theft, fraud, and cyberstalking. Cybercriminals can find personal data through search engines, data broker websites, and social media platforms, leaving you vulnerable to their malicious activities.

In this guide, we’ll share effective methods on how to remove personal information from the internet and protect your online privacy. You'll also discover what virtual cards are and how they help reduce the amount of sensitive financial information you share online.

Types of Personal Information To Remove From the Internet

Every time you create an online account, post on social media, or make a purchase online, you potentially expose your personal information to cybercriminals. Your mobile devices, apps, and internet browsers also use cookies, which can collect sensitive data about you, such as your location, search history, and online activity.

To remove personal information from the internet, you must conduct a thorough audit of all the online platforms and accounts you've used or signed up for previously. You’ll then need to eliminate all types of sensitive personal data you’ve shared on these platforms, including:

How To Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet

While erasing all your personal information from the internet may be impossible, there are steps you can take to minimize your digital footprint and protect your privacy. Here are some effective methods:

1. Opt out of data broker websites
2. Delete unused apps, social media accounts, and other online profiles
3. Remove personal information from Google
4. Contact website owners directly

Opt Out of Data Broker Websites

Data broker websites collect, group, and sell personal information to advertisers, marketers, and third parties for marketing purposes. These sites scrape data from public records, social media platforms, and other online sources to create a comprehensive profile about you. 

To opt out, search for your name on popular data broker sites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Whitepages, and follow these steps:

1. Find the opt-out or data removal link on the website
2. Submit a request to remove your information
3. Verify your identity with additional information, such as a government-issued ID or driver's license
4. Wait for confirmation that your information has been removed 
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Alternatively, you can seek services from companies that remove personal data from the internet. These companies monitor different data broker websites for your personal information, contact the sites on your behalf, and request data removal.

Delete Unused Apps, Social Media Accounts, and Other Online Profiles

Even if you no longer use online accounts you’ve made in the past, they still contain your personal information and are vulnerable to data breaches.

To minimize data-sharing risks, go through your apps, social media accounts, and other online profiles and delete any you no longer use. If you can't delete an account, remove any personal details from it, such as payment card information, contact details, and personal photos.

Remove Personal Information From Google

Commanding almost 90% of the search engine market^[1], Google is the first place cybercriminals and data brokers look for personal information. Luckily, Google offers three ways to remove personal information from its search results:

1. Filling out a content removal form
2. Following Google’s guidelines for deleting outdated content or images from indexed websites
3. Asking for the removal of specific personally identifiable information (PII) and other content potential hackers may exploit for doxxing
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You can also turn on “Auto Delete”^[2] in your privacy settings to automatically delete your activity data, or you can browse using incognito mode^[3] to avoid saving browsing history.

Contact Website Owners Directly

If you find personal information about yourself on a website and you want to take it down, the first thing you should try is contacting the webmaster or site owner. Look for a “Contact Us” or “Privacy Policy” page on the website and reach out to them via email, phone, or online form. Explain to them that you didn't give consent for the information to be published on their site and request for its removal.

If the webmaster ignores or denies your request, the next step is to contact the site’s hosting company and explain the situation. Because hosting companies usually have to uphold personal information policies, they may be willing to help.

How To Keep Personal Information Off the Internet?

You can take proactive steps to prevent your personal information from being exposed online in the first place. Follow the tips below to keep your personal information secure:

1. Use password managers
2. Browse with virtual private networks (VPNs)
3. Review privacy settings on online accounts regularly
4. Be cautious about phishing scams
5. Shop with virtual cards

Use Password Managers

Password managers are tools designed to store and manage your passwords from a secure vault, assigning them to the appropriate accounts when you log in. This means you only need to remember one master password to access your entire vault. While some password managers also offer features like generating strong passwords, their primary purpose is to simplify and secure the way you handle multiple accounts.

That said, using a password manager is just one part of practicing good password habits to avoid unauthorized access to your accounts. It’s also a good idea to:

• Create a unique and strong password (containing a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters) for each account
• Avoid reusing passwords across sites
• Steer clear of predictable choices, like "password123" or your birth date

Depending on your needs, you can choose from different password manager types, including:

• Open-source password managers like Bitwarden and Proton Pass
• Browser-based password managers such as Safari, Edge, Opera GX, Firefox, and Google
• Cloud-based password managers like Dashlane, 1Password, LastPass, Norton Password Manager, and NordPass

Browse With Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and route it through a remote server, masking your IP address and preventing third parties from tracking your online activities. Some VPNs also have features like DNS leak protection and kill switches that terminate web traffic if the encrypted connection drops, ensuring your personal information remains secure.

Some top-rated VPNs you can try include ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and Bitdefender.

Review Privacy Settings on Online Accounts Regularly

Reviewing your privacy settings for online accounts frequently and enabling "do not track" can help limit the amount of personal information apps, browsers, and websites collect about you. 

It also prevents cookies from tracking your online activities for the purpose of serving you targeted ads. Check the privacy settings of your social media accounts, email providers, and other online services you use regularly to ensure they align with your privacy preferences.

Be Cautious About Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are attempts by cybercriminals to obtain personal information, often through emails, text messages, or phone calls. They might pose as legitimate companies (banks, government agencies, etc.) or individuals, asking you to click on a link or provide personal information like passwords, bank account details, or your Social Security number. 

To stay safe from phishing scams:

• Never click on suspicious links or open email attachments from unknown senders
• Beware of unsolicited messages asking for personal information
• Avoid sharing personal information via email, phone, or text messages unless you initiated the contact and are certain it's a legitimate request
• Check the URL before entering sensitive information on websites to ensure it’s secure (look for "https" and a lock icon)

Shop With Virtual Cards

Virtual cards are randomly generated card numbers that mask your actual card details when shopping online. They act as a stand-in for your actual payment card, limiting the chances of your financial information getting exposed in case of a merchant data breach.

Financial institutions such as Citi, Capital One, and American Express offer virtual cards but give little control over your financial spending. If you want robust security and advanced card controls to define when and how your virtual cards are used, consider getting your virtual cards from an independent provider like Privacy.

Keep Your Info Safe Online With Privacy Cards

After connecting your bank account or debit card with it, Privacy lets you create virtual card numbers you can use at checkout to protect your financial information from online fraud. As a BBB-accredited and PCI-DSS-compliant service, Privacy applies strict security measures similar to those of reputable banks, including AES 256-bit encryption, firewalled servers, and third-party security audits.

Other security features include:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA)—Privacy lets you choose between SMS, email, and authenticator app codes to secure your account and limit unauthorized access.
• Transaction alerts—You'll receive real-time notifications for every transaction made with your virtual card, helping you spot any potentially suspicious activity quickly.
• Fraud protection—If you report a fraudulent transaction and your claim is valid, Privacy will initiate an investigation and issue a chargeback against the merchant, just like a bank or other financial institution would.
• OWASP compliance—Privacy follows the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) guidelines for secure web application development, ensuring your data is always protected against common web vulnerabilities.

Privacy Card Types and Their Features

With Privacy, you can generate three card types—discover more information about them in the following table:

Privacy also gives you card spending controls, allowing you to:

• Pause or close cards—Privacy will decline any further charges on a paused or closed card, reducing the risk of unwelcome charges, such as those that may occur during subscription cancellation.
• Set spending limits—This feature lets you define how much merchants can charge your virtual cards, helping protect against overcharges and hidden fees. Privacy will block all charges that exceed the preset limit.

Privacy Convenience Features

Privacy offers several convenience features for easier card management and seamless transactions:

• Privacy App—Available for iOS and Android, the mobile app lets you create new cards, set spending limits, and monitor your virtual cards on the go.
• Privacy Browser Extension—The browser extension autofills your virtual card details at checkout, enabling faster and more secure online transactions. It's available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, including Safari for iOS.
• 1Password integration—Privacy's integration with 1Password makes it easy to store and autofill your passwords and virtual card numbers securely.
• Shared Cards—You can share a Privacy Card with your close friends and family without disclosing your actual card numbers. 
• Card Notes—Attach notes to your Privacy Virtual Cards to help you remember and track transactions, such as merchant names and subscription renewal dates.

How To Get a Privacy Card

To get started with Privacy:

1. Visit the signup page
2. Input the required Know-Your-Customer (KYC) details
3. Add a funding source (debit card or bank account)
4. Submit a request and generate your first Privacy Card
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Privacy offers four plans:

References

^[1]GlobalStats. https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share, sourced October 8, 2024

^[2]Google. https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/465?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=0, sourced October 8, 2024

^[3]Google. https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464, sourced October 8, 2024

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