Anita Smith always shared carefully online. But after a difficult relationship turned into stalking, she became more cautious. Even after police stepped in, she chose to move abroad and erase as much of her online presence as possible.
She deleted past posts, removed location tags, and shut down Instagram accounts. Her LinkedIn remains, but with minimal details. “I deleted location-based posts and only keep what’s necessary,” she says. She also cleans up her Facebook once a year, reviewing privacy settings and tagged posts.
Anita is also concerned about artificial intelligence (AI). “AI models train using online images, and we don’t know how they’ll be used in the future. That’s why I never post photos of my child.”
Many people are cutting back their online presence for similar reasons. A Statista report found that 39% of users worry about how companies use their data, while 26% rely on VPNs for privacy.
Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO of Surfshark, explains that privacy concerns are growing. “What seems harmless today could be risky in the future. Laws and digital threats change.” He warns about AI-driven fraud, where scammers use online data to impersonate people.
Data brokers also collect and sell personal details, making users vulnerable to targeted scams. “It’s like the Wild West online,” he adds.
How to Reduce Your Online Footprint
People are taking steps to protect themselves, including:
- Avoiding posting home addresses or personal details.
- Using different emails for sign-ups to reduce spam.
- Checking data protection laws to request data removal.
- Using VPNs, cookie blockers, and privacy-focused browsers.
- Regularly clearing browser cookies and restricting tracking.
Some use services like DeleteMe and Surfshark to erase personal data from the internet. “High-profile individuals use these tools for safety,” says Amanda Unterreiner, product manager at DeleteMe. She warns that public records, such as old addresses and phone numbers, can be easily found and misused.
For some, privacy concerns started at work. Saam Collingwood recalls a mistake where she included her Facebook profile in a client email. “They saw party photos, and my employer wasn’t happy,” she says. After experiencing online trolling and fraud attempts, she stopped posting regularly. She now removes location tags and uses stronger security tools.
However, stepping back from social media has downsides. Some miss staying connected with old friends. But as Kaziukonis points out, privacy is essential. “People say, ‘I have nothing to hide,’ but would they share every email they’ve ever sent? We all value privacy—it’s human nature.”
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