The best services for deleting yourself from the internet in 2024

There are numerous steps you can take to stop your name from appearing in internet search results and through engines, including Google and Bing, but it can be a complicated and time-consuming process. Below are some steps to help you get started.

• Use a search engine: Your first action should be to type in your name, nicknames, and online handles into search engines. This step will reveal the information that anyone can easily find on you and can help you plan your next steps, including which companies you may need to contact to have data removed or what accounts to delete.
• Lock down or delete social media accounts: Deletion is the nuclear option, but most social media platforms will have an option to stop your profile from appearing in search engine results. As our profiles — even if they are publicly limited — can contain our photos, full name, and more, removing them from search engine queries can help reduce our online footprint. For step-by-step guides, visit Facebook, Instagram, and X.
• Delete old, unused accounts: Whether it’s shopping sites, social media networks, or forums, each service you use — or have used — may tie your online identity to your name, nicknames, or PII, all of which could be at risk if a data breach occurs. If you do not want to use a dedicated service, consider going through your email and password managers to find active accounts. You will need to access them and request removal manually.
• Clean up forum posts: Forums can often be overlooked, but if someone finds out the handles you commonly use, they may be able to find content connected to you — which could now be completely irrelevant to the person you are today, or embarrassing if exposed. Delete old forum posts and preferably remove your accounts entirely. 
• Contact webmasters: If you have old accounts that do not have auto-delete features, contact webmasters directly to have your profiles and data deleted. This process will likely be easier if you are in an area covered by regulations such as the EU’s GDPR.
• Request that people finder websites delete your information: People finder websites can be used as “search engines” to look up someone based on their name, phone number, and other personal information, which can be a privacy nightmare. Opting out and forcing the removal of your information from these organizations, which may buy it from data brokers, can be a challenging process to perform manually as it may require contacting each service individually to negotiate. If these organizations prove to be difficult, deletion could also require an understanding of applicable privacy and data protection laws to enforce your requests. Consider using a service such as Incogni or DeleteMe to do the legwork for you.
• Deactivate email accounts: Our email accounts tend to be the core platform that ties your digital profile together, but once they’re gone, they’re gone. When you are ready, delete your email accounts, which will break the common threads between your online services. Only take this step if you are sure.

You can, although the process is limited and your request may be rejected if the company doesn’t believe there are grounds for removal. 

You will need to contact Google using this form, requesting to remove information you see or asking to prevent information from appearing in Google search results. Removal requests can also be made for:

• Exposed personal identifiable information (PII)
• Explicit images, including adult content
• Involuntary, fake pornography
• Images of minors
• Information from websites with “exploitive” removal practices, such as those that demand payment

In some cases — for example, a request to remove links to law enforcement statements or media articles concerning an individual and a prosecution — Google may refuse, as such information could be in the public interest. If Google refuses, it will provide a reason for its decision.

There are numerous ways you can protect your identity online. Experts recommend securing personal information, locking down your social media accounts to friends and connections only, using antivirus software, regularly updating programs and software, and changing your passwords on a regular basis. 

Furthermore, if you find “clones” of your identity — such as a fake Facebook or dating app profile — ensure you report the fake account to associated online services.

If you suspect your data has been leaked online, use the Have I Been Pwned service to see if you have been involved in any data breaches.

To remove your name from social media, you’ll have to follow some basic steps. First, change your name to a nickname or surname that isn’t linked to your true name. This should ensure that photos or linked content will also change.

Next, switching all of your content to private can keep it away from search engines and individual search queries. You can also delete all of your accounts, and potentially file a Google request to remove content connected to you (although this is not always going to be accepted, especially if such information is considered in the public interest.)

The majority of search engines will log your search queries, and some will use this information to tailor ads and recommendations. If you want to keep your search queries hidden, we recommend using DuckDuckGo, which offers a free search engine that does not log your activities — or, for extra privacy, use its browser. 

The easiest way is to visit Troy Hunt’s HaveIBeenPwned to see the vast troves of data posted online due to company data breaches. Once you have entered your email address, the search engine will reveal if you have been involved in any third-party information leaks.

There’s no easy way, and unfortunately, it is often outside our control.

Instead of chasing removal, the best thing you can do is to see what information has been leaked and make it redundant. For example, if an email and password combination for an online service has been exposed, change it immediately for that service — as well as any other platforms using the same set — and never use that combination again. Using multi-factor authentication can also prevent your online accounts from being compromised. 

It is worth it as online threats, phishing, and impersonation are now fixed and permanent problems in our lives. This may be especially true for anyone who grew up oversharing and before we understood that once something is online, it is usually there forever. If you want to mask problematic information and cut the links that connect you between different online services, investing in a personal data removal service — at least, for a while — is worth the cost. 

While the services above for deleting yourself from the internet are ZDNET’s top picks and are what we consider to be the best solutions on the market, there are many other options available. Here are other choices that might suit what you’re looking for.