More Data Removal Services Info

More Data Removal Services Info: a reader asks:

Where could I turn to for assistance to remove my digital footprint online? I.e. to remove from the web things I’ve posted on various social media, on websites, etc. Is there any person or firm you could recommend? I looked at your previous article but my question is a little different.

Sorry, I don’t give recommendations on any online entity, software or service that I haven’t tested out and used myself. And I haven’t used any such service. So my advice here is based on looking at other trusted online sources of information. That said, if you want to remove your personal data online, there are a few things to consider. Some of this parrots the other article, which is related to your question.

First, It’s not enough to simply delete your social media and other online accounts. You’ve been getting free use of these and the truth is that your personal data is the currency you used to pay for those services. E.g., you’ve already sold your personal data to others, and they can do (and have done) whatever they want with it. In most cases, your personal data has been sold to other data aggregators. And possibly (maybe probably) to criminals on the dark web. Once that data is out there, you can’t recover it completely.

Second, any online service or software tool you use to delete your personal data from the internet will only work with legitimate businesses, not criminals on the dark web. Sort of like an iceberg, the parts of the internet you can see is pretty small compared to the total internet. These services only affect the surface web (and a limited bit of the deep web). As a result, your efforts to scrub your digital life from the internet are only going to be marginally effective.

Third, you need to be very careful who you hire to help you with this. There are many online entities that purport to help you with this sort of thing, and not all of them are trustworthy. Be sure anyone you pick has lots of online recommendations from other trustworthy folks. I tend to stick with well-known names like PCMag.com, TechRadar.com, Komando.com, KrebsonSecurity.com, etc.

For software tools you can use to help you remove your digital footprint yourself, you can check out https://redact.dev which is recommended by several trusted folks I know. Or BrandYourself.com.

For educating yourself on how to accomplish your goal, check out blogs like these:

1. https://www.cubexsoft.com/blog/how-to-delete-all-social-media-accounts/
2. https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/how-to-delete-your-social-media-accounts/

For software tools and services you can use to help you remove your digital footprint, here are a few online entities who are recommended by multiple folks I know:

1. DeleteMe.com
2. Eliminalia.com
3. kanary.com
4. Optery.com
5. PrivacyBee.com
6. Scrubber.Social

Let me reiterate, I endorse none of the above as I haven’t tried their services. I’m just listing some possibilities, you’ll have to do the research yourself to decide which is the best for your particular situation and risk tolerance.