Data protection
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Use the name of the website itself as your surname or bogus name when signing up, making it easier to track which service sold your data.
If you receive spam with that name, you will know exactly which company sold your details.
4 people, independently
- For unimportant accounts, use the company's name as your first name so you can identify the source of any resulting spam.1
- Use bogus names when signing up for online services to identify which companies are selling your information based on who sends spam addressed to that fake name.1
Search your name online and request deletion of your address from any sites that list it.
To prevent stalkers from finding you.
one person who lived it
Cut down on social media posts that reveal vague locations or images of cars to prevent stalkers from building a dossier on you.
Such posts can lead to license plates and location tracking via street view.
one person who lived it
Enter the name of the company you are signing up for into the 'First Name' field of registration forms.
If third parties buy the data and send junk mail without checking individual names, the mail will be addressed to the company name, revealing who sold your information.
- You cannot stop companies from selling your information.
2 people, independently
Do not use the same username on gaming platforms or other social media sites to prevent connections that could reveal your identity to people you know in real life.
Using the same username elsewhere is when connections begin.
2 people, independently
Threaten small claims court action against people-search sites if they refuse to remove your data after citing police report requirements.
They will often remove details to avoid litigation hassle.
one person who lived it
Periodically review and delete old posts and pictures that reveal small pieces of personal information which could be combined to identify you.
Small details can be put together by others to identify you or find your account in real life.
one person who lived it
Immediately unsubscribe from companies suspected of selling your data and report their ID.
Websites often continue selling data to multiple buyers rather than just once.
- You likely already agreed to terms stating your details might be sold.
one person who lived it
7 more on this
Occasionally post comments with false personal details to mislead anyone mining your history for identity information.
It leads astray those trying to collect your data.
one person who lived it
Remove address labels and shipping information from packaging before disposal to prevent doxxing and theft.
Thieves can use this information to identify targets and locate owners.
one person who lived it
When deleting comments on platforms that cache content, edit the comment to contain only a period before deleting it so cache sites see the edited version first.
This ensures cache sites record the edited version rather than the original content.
one person who lived it
Fill out online quizzes with lies to provide misinformation about yourself.
This makes the collected data unreliable.
one person who lived it
Politely refuse to give personal information to stores or businesses when asked.
It is none of their business, and workers are often just following manager instructions.
one person who lived it
Understand that having your address publicly available online increases the risk of dangerous incidents like swatting.
one person who lived it
If you are willing to invest significant time, manually delete your old social media posts to reduce personal information exposure.
one person who lived it