Digital declutter: how to take back your online identity

When was the last time you Googled yourself? Were you surprised by what you found? Your online identity is probably more extensive than you realize – think every photo you post, comment you make, account you open, quiz you take and tag from a friend. And it’s not just what you choose to share. Your data is being quietly collected, stored and sometimes shared without you even knowing it.

More than 95% of Canadians are online and close to 80% are active on social media. Yet, according to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, almost one in five Canadians have been a victim of a data breach or cyber attack, and 87% worry about their privacy online.

So, what can you do to protect your online identity? It might be time for a digital declutter. By understanding what makes up your online presence and adopting a few simple digital hygiene habits, you can enjoy a life online that’s both productive and protected.

Understanding your online presence

Your online presence is your total digital footprint – where you can be found or represented on the Internet. Being online is not just what we do anymore. It’s a fundamental part of who we are. Our online identities are permanent and searchable, which makes knowledge and awareness even more critical.

Your online presence is made up of four parts:

• Owned channels: These include things like websites, blogs, social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn). It’s anywhere you post content or interact with people or businesses.
• Earned presence: Typically includes content posted by third parties where you do not have direct control over it.
• Active digital footprint: Includes the actual content you post including social media updates, comments, uploads or blogs.
• Passive digital footprint: Mostly behaviour based including your browsing history, cookies, IP tracking and metadata. This data exists but you rarely see it.

Who are data brokers?

According to cyber security solutions provider Kaspersky, data brokers collect personal information from various sources, build a profile about you and sell it to marketing/advertising companies, insurance companies or people search sites for a profit. The industry is worth $200 billion per year, and there are up to 4,000 data brokering companies worldwide. Some of the most well-known players are Experion, Equifax, Acxiom and Epsilon.

How do they collect personal information? There are a few ways:

• Web browsing history: Anywhere you leave an electronic trail is fair game for data brokers – search engines, social media applications, online quizzes, contests or websites.
• Web scraping: This is a software that allows data brokers to gather information from web tracking embedded in most websites.
• Public sources: Any records that are available to the public.
• Your buying history: What you bought, when you bought it, how much you paid and if you used a coupon or loyalty card.
• Consent: If you agree to share your personal information (typically most people consent without really reading or understanding what they are consenting to).

The information that data brokers use to build personal profiles can include: name, address, date of birth, marital status, family status, social insurance number, education, assets, occupation, phone number, email, buying habits, personal interests and hobbies.

Clean up tips

Your information is out there. But you do have some control over who can access it and how it can be used. It simply requires a few basic digital hygiene habits to declutter your digital presence.

• Search yourself: It’s the first step to really understanding your online presence. Use your name, any nicknames and online handles. The results will show you where you show up and if you have any personal information available online.
• Review your social media: Update your account/personal information (provide the minimum required), review privacy settings, clean up your friends/followers and audit content. Make sure you check the option in settings to block your social media profile from appearing in search engine results.
• Share less: It can be tempting to post what you had for breakfast, your son’s soccer championship or your latest vacation highlight reel, but every post expands your digital footprint. Be intentional about your posts and make sure you’re ok with the content being part of your online presence. And never share any personally identifiable information online, especially on social media.
• Adjust your privacy settings: Turn off or restrict your location settings on apps and devices. Change the web browser you use to limit tracking. Lock down your social media accounts, so you only interact with people you know and trust.
• Delete unused accounts: Not swiping anymore or got tired of playing Candy Crush Saga? Make sure you delete your accounts (social media, online shopping, mailing list subscriptions) – and that doesn’t mean just removing the app from your device. You need to erase the account and any personal information attached to it.
• Use a data removal service: You could try to find and remove your personal data on your own, but it’s a lot of work. For a monthly fee, data removal service providers (some popular ones include Icogni and DeleteMe) will scan and monitor online databases and data broker repositories for your personal information and work on your behalf to remove it.

Cleaning up your online presence isn’t something you do once – it’s a habit to practice over time. Start by understanding your digital footprint, decluttering posts and old accounts and use privacy settings whenever possible. As you build these habits, consider complementing your efforts with comprehensive protection tools like TELUS Online Security, which can provide an additional layer of defense against malware, suspicious network traffic, and other online threats. With a few simple steps, and the right protective measures, you can take control of your online identity – protecting your privacy, staying safer online and shaping the digital story you want to tell. Ready to put your privacy knowledge to the test? Take our interactive quiz to discover how well you understand digital privacy and uncover new ways to protect yourself online.