How to Remove Personal Information from the Internet in 2025

In 2025, the idea that once something goes on the internet, it’s there forever is no longer just a fear. From public records and data breaches to social media profiles and third‑party brokers, our personal information is scattered in hundreds of places. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this article, we’ll explore why removing personal information from the internet is more important than ever, how you can do it, and how to prevent future exposure. Empowering yourself to reclaim privacy isn’t just about peace of mind; it can protect your identity and legal rights.

Why Is Removing Your Personal Information from the Internet Important?

The following are the reasons why removing your personal information is critical.

Privacy Protection and Identity Theft Prevention

Data breaches are becoming more frequent and more massive. Every personal data floating around makes identity theft easier for bad actors. By removing your information, you shrink your exposure and reduce the chances someone will impersonate you, steal money, or open accounts in your name.

In the first half of 2025, for example, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) tracked 1,732 data compromise incidents, a rise of ~11% over the same period in the previous year. These incidents exposed the personal data of more than 114 million individuals in just those breaches alone.

Avoiding Doxing and Harassment

Aside from identity theft, there are other, more immediate risks: unwanted attention, harassment, and doxing. Even something like an old phone number or address can be used by malicious people to intimidate or stalk. Removing especially private addresses, phone numbers, and personal photos can protect you from online harassment or worse. This is a serious concern in today’s hyper‑connected world.

Professional Reputation Management

Employers, clients, colleagues, many of them judge you based on what your public digital footprint shows. Old social media posts, comments, and personal opinions shared long ago that aren’t aligned with how you wish to present yourself now can come back to haunt you. You gain greater control over your narrative by cleaning up your online presence. You help ensure that what prospective employers or others find when they Google you reflects your skills, values, and current identity, not your past mistakes or private life.

Legal Compliance (GDPR, CCPA requirements)

Privacy laws are now not just theoretical; they have real bite and are being enforced more strictly. Legislation like GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and others give individuals rights to request deletion (the “right to be forgotten”), access to data held about them, and corrections. These laws impose obligations on companies to remove personal data under certain conditions. Knowing your rights under applicable laws (depending on your country or region) gives you tools to demand removal or restrict usage. Also, data brokers hiding their opt‑out pages or using “dark patterns” to obstruct users may violate these regulations. 

Financial Security and Fraud Prevention

The financial consequences of having personal data exposed are real. In 2025, credential theft has surged. One report observed a 160% rise in compromised credentials compared to earlier periods. Attackers with credentials can access bank accounts and credit cards or commit fraud in your name. Removing personal data reduces the “attack surface”; less info out there means fewer ways for fraudsters to exploit you. Also, suppose you leave personal info lying around with data brokers. In that case, that info can be used by scammers to create more convincing phishing or social engineering attacks.

6 Important Methods of Removing Your Personal Information from the Internet

Here are six effective strategies to reclaim your privacy.

1. Search Engine Removal

Start with Google, Bing, and other search engines. Sometimes, cached or indexed versions remain even when you delete something from a website. Most major search engines offer mechanisms to request that specific URLs or search results be removed (for example, when you find sensitive info like bank numbers, national IDs, private addresses). Use tools like:

• Google’s Personal Information Removal forms.
  
• Bing’s similar request options
  
• Regularly search your name (in quotes) to see what appears publicly.

2. Remove Inactive Accounts and Applications

Many old accounts or apps you no longer use still hold your data. You signed up years ago for a forum, a shopping site, or a social app and never logged back in. These may have profiles, photos, or personal details. To remove:

• Make a list of all accounts you’ve ever created (emails, old usernames help here)
  
• Log in and delete or deactivate them, following the site’s policy.
  
• If login isn’t possible, contact customer support for account recovery or deletion
  .
• Use tools or password managers that help you find dormant or rarely used accounts.
  

3. Social Media Cleanup

On social media, your privacy depends not just on profile info but on what’s visible to whom. Do the following:

• Audit your privacy settings: limit who sees your posts, photos, and friend lists
  
• Delete old posts, photos, and comments you no longer want associated with your name.
  
• Remove tags or un‑tag yourself from posts/photos you don’t like
  
• Be mindful of sharing info like location, phone number, and  birthday publicly

4. Public Records Removal

Certain public records (property ownership, court records, voter registration) may be searchable online depending on your country or region. Some are by law, some are by convenience. You can:

• Find out what public records are searchable in your area
  
• For sensitive records, some jurisdictions allow sealing or restricting access
  
• Use legal means to petition for removal or redaction, where possible
  
• For example, you may remove your address from publicly published property databases or have minor records sealed.
  

5. Erase Personal Data from Third‑Party Platforms and Brokers

Data brokers and people search sites collect data from many sources, package it, and often resell or make it searchable. To deal with them:

• Identify which brokers have your info (many have searchable databases)
  
• Use their opt‑out/deletion forms; many require proof of identity to confirm you own the data.
  
• Use specialized services that simplify the process. Incogni, which by mid‑2025 claims to have covered over 420 data brokers and processed over 245 million removal requests since 2022. 
• Be aware that some brokers hide their opt‑out pages (sometimes deliberate “dark patterns”), making it hard to find how to remove info.
  

6. Monitor Removals

Follow up after you request removals (especially from brokers or search engines). Sometimes data gets re‑posted, or linked sites duplicate it. Monitoring helps ensure removal requests were honoured and that no new exposure appears. Tools and services help with this. You can set alerts, use monitoring services, and check occasionally.

How to Prevent Future Data Exposure?

Prevention is often as crucial as cleanup. Here are practices to reduce future risks.

Privacy‑Focused Browsing Habits

• Use privacy‑focused search engines (e.g., DuckDuckGo, StartPage)
  
• Avoid oversharing in forms: if a field is optional, ask whether it’s necessary.
  
• Clear cookies and cached data regularly; use incognito/private windows when necessary.
  

VPN Usage and Encrypted Communication

• AstrillVPN can mask your IP address and encrypt traffic, making it harder for trackers and unauthorized parties to map your online behavior to your identity.
  
• Use HTTPS‑only websites, secure email providers, and  encrypted messaging apps (e.g., Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp with end‑to‑end encryption)
  

Limiting Data Sharing with Apps and Websites

• Be cautious about permissions: don’t allow apps to access your contacts, location, or photos unless strictly needed.
  
• Use alias or dummy accounts/emails for sign‑ups to avoid handing out your primary address or identity.
  
• Read privacy policies; know what data will be collected and how it will be used.
  

Regular Privacy Audits and Monitoring

• Set periodic reminders quarterly to check where your personal information appears online.
  
• Use tools or services that scan the web for exposed personal data (e.g., breached password checkers, people‑search sites)
  
• Track which accounts exist, and revisit whether you still need them.
  

Safe Social Media Practices

• Think twice before posting sensitive personal data (addresses, phone numbers, financial info)
  
• Manage who can see what: use friends‑only settings and select an audience.
  
• Be mindful of location‑sharing, especially in posts or stories.
  

Conclusion

In our digital era, where personal data is currency and exposure can lead to real harm financially, removing your personal information from the internet is no longer optional. It’s a necessary part of protecting yourself. Use the methods above to clean up what’s already out there, and adopt the prevention habits to reduce your risk moving forward. It takes effort, but every removed record, every restricted setting, is a victory for your privacy. Start today, follow through, and reclaim your digital life.

FAQs