Cleaning up your trail
1 hourModerateYou can't erase the past, but you can shrink it — and stop it growing.
- Search your own name in quotes, plus your usernames, email addresses, and phone number. Write down everything you find.
- Delete dormant accounts rather than abandoning them. An unused account is a breach waiting to happen.
- Clear your Google and Meta activity history, then turn off future collection in each service's privacy settings.
- File opt-outs with the big data brokers — most have a removal form. See requesting deletion.
- Use email aliases for new signups so a future leak doesn't expose your real address.
- Set a yearly calendar reminder to redo this. Broker listings come back.
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The 10-minute lockdown
If you only read one guide, read this one. Six steps, one sitting, most of the risk gone.
10 minEasy