Data Security - How to Reduce Your Online Digital Footprint
Frankie Lee • July 8, 2020
How to Reduce Your Online Digital Footprint
Handling your online digital footprint is a concern that you have to be wary about since the Internet can be likened to a history of your public records. Regardless of whether it’s been five years or ten years since you’ve made an embarrassing comment, people may use these pieces of data against you today or in the future. Keep in mind that posting questionable opinions or using copyrighted media can lead you to face costly legal consequences.
The importance of limiting your digital footprint
Besides the legal ramifications of managing the content you’ve either browsed or produced, your online digital footprints can also be a reason for your future employers and colleagues to question your credibility. The best way to avoid any doubts about your character is by making sure that you’ve put away the parts of you that you don’t want the public to know or remember.
In this article, we will share three different ways of cleaning your online digital footprints:
1. Limit the information that you share to websites
Your online browser can be tweaked to regulate its security and privacy settings while you’re browsing the net. Limiting your browsing visibility allows you to stay anonymous and disallow websites from gaining access to your browsing history for data collection. Firefox has Private Window, Chrome has Incognito Mode, while Safari has Private Browsing.
At the same time, make sure that your social accounts have the right limitations in what you’re willing to share with the public. You can change these through your privacy settings. You can also use anti-tracking tools in the form of apps or plug-ins to your browser to help mask your Internet browsing behaviour.
2. Delete unused and unnecessary accounts
The Internet’s networks have gone through various changes over the years. Different social platforms ranging from forums and Internet message boards have developed into modern sites, such as MySpace, Multiply, Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook. Every person has their reasons for making these accounts, whether for business or for personal use. As the different platforms’ popularity came and went, we also tend to forget that we had these in the first place.
Trace your old social media profiles to see if you have any accounts that are still active. If you’ve forgotten your password or if you have an account set up, some websites and platforms can offer to delete your account once you reach out to them about your privacy concerns.
3. Make secondary accounts
In relation to deleting accounts that shouldn’t be associated with your identity, you should also consider making a separate business and personal account for your socials and email addresses. Doing this allows you to clean your email of unwanted newsletters that are meant for professional purposes or for your hobbies and interests. Having a secondary account is also helpful as a back-up in case you forget your password for your other accounts or if your primary socials are deleted or blocked temporarily.
Conclusion
Everyone makes mistakes in their lives. Unfortunately, the Internet doesn’t discriminate in remembering what you’ve written, said, or posted. Whether you posted something in the past that you’re embarrassed about or uploaded content you shouldn’t have, you should now stay vigilant in making sure that you won’t make these mistakes in the future.
If you’re looking for a company that removes your information from the Internet, we at Content Removal can give you a sweep of your unwanted digital footprints. We offer content removal services to make sure that your identity is clean from threats against your reputation, privacy, and trademarked content. Get in touch with us today and start having a safer and cleaner digital identity!
Introduction: Why Google Results Control Your Reputation When people want to learn about you or your business, they don’t ask you directly — they Google you. A single search result can mean the difference between: Winning or losing a client. Closing or missing an investment deal. Being trusted or being doubted. In today’s world, Google is your first impression. And when negative content shows up — whether it’s a bad review, a defamatory article, or an embarrassing old post — it can feel like your reputation is being hijacked. That’s why millions of people search for terms like “remove content from Google” or “delete Google results.” The problem? Google doesn’t make it easy. This guide gives you a step-by-step framework to understand your options, protect your name, and take back control. Step 1: Understand What Google Can (and Can’t) Do Before learning how to remove Google search results, it’s crucial to understand how Google works. Google doesn’t own the content: It simply indexes web pages published on other sites. Two main strategies exist: Remove at the source (delete the content where it was published). Remove from Google’s index (de-index it so it won’t show in search results). 👉 If the content is deleted at the source, Google will automatically update. But if it remains live, you’ll need to request a removal from Google (which only applies in specific cases). Step 2: Identify the Type of Negative Content Different types of harmful results require different strategies. Let’s break them down: 1. Defamation False statements that harm your personal or business reputation. Example: A blogger writes that you scammed clients without evidence. 2. Copyright Infringement Someone stole your images, text, or videos. Example: A competitor copies your website and publishes it. 3. Personal Information Exposure Doxxing, revenge porn, or exposure of addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts. Example: A forum publishes your private details. 4. Fake Reviews or Complaints Competitors or anonymous attackers leave fake reviews. Example: 1-star Google Business reviews from accounts that never used your service. 5. Negative Press or News Coverage News articles, blogs, or opinion pieces that damage your reputation. Example: An old article resurfaces about a legal dispute, even after it’s resolved. Step 3: Attempt Removal at the Source (Most Effective) The gold standard is to delete the content where it lives. How to Remove at the Source: Find contact information: Look for a “Contact Us” page. Use WHOIS lookup if the owner is private. Request removal politely: Be professional and clear. Explain why it should be removed (e.g., false, outdated, violating rights). Escalate legally if needed: Send a legal demand letter. File a DMCA takedown for copyright. Engage an attorney if it’s defamatory. 💡 Pro Tip: When content is deleted at the source, it’s the fastest and cleanest solution. Google will automatically remove it when it re-crawls the site. Step 4: File a Removal Request with Google If source removal isn’t possible, your next option is Google’s own removal tools. Google Offers Removals For: Outdated Content Tool: If the page is deleted but still shows in search. Legal Removal Requests: For defamation (in certain jurisdictions), copyright, and sensitive personal info. Revenge Porn & Explicit Imagery: Google prioritizes urgent takedowns for non-consensual media. Financial or ID Information: Bank details, ID numbers, or hacked data. 👉 Submit requests via Google’s Content Removal page . Be aware: Google will not remove content simply because it is negative. It must violate a policy or law. Step 5: Suppress Results When Removal Isn’t Possible Some content simply cannot be removed — for example, accurate news articles or protected opinions. In those cases, the strategy shifts to suppression. What Suppression Means: Suppression = pushing negative results off page one by ranking positive, optimized content above them. Suppression Tactics: SEO for owned assets: Optimize your website, blog, and social media profiles. Content creation: Publish articles, press releases, interviews, YouTube videos, podcasts. High-authority platforms: Build LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Medium, Quora, and other strong profiles. PR & media coverage: Secure features that rank in Google News and top publications. Since over 90% of users never click past page one, pushing harmful content to page two makes it practically invisible. Step 6: Ongoing Monitoring and Protection Reputation management is not a one-time fix. New threats can appear anytime. How to Stay Protected: Set Google Alerts for your name or brand. Track reviews across Google, Trustpilot, SiteJabber, etc. Use professional monitoring services to get alerts and immediate takedown action. At ContentRemoval.com, we provide continuous monitoring and monthly removal services so you’re never blindsided by sudden attacks. Step 7: When to Hire a Professional Some removals are straightforward. Others — like fighting with major news publishers, suppressing viral Reddit threads, or negotiating with review platforms — require expert intervention. Professional content removal experts can: Navigate Google’s complex policies. File successful DMCA, defamation, and privacy removals. Negotiate directly with publishers. Combine legal, SEO, and PR strategies into one solution. If your reputation, business revenue, or peace of mind is at stake, hiring a professional is the fastest, most reliable way to protect yourself. Case Studies (Proof Section) Case Study 1: Entrepreneur Attacked Online Problem: 42 defamatory blog posts damaging credibility. Solution: ContentRemoval.com secured takedowns on 31 and suppressed the rest. Result: Entrepreneur rebuilt reputation and closed $3M funding round. Case Study 2: CEO with Negative Press Problem: Old news coverage ranking on page one. Solution: 90-day SEO + PR campaign. Result: Positive stories ranked, pushing the negative to page three. Case Study 3: Company Flooded with Fake Reviews Problem: Competitor attack using fake Google reviews. Solution: Removal requests + review platform escalation. Result: 85% of fake reviews deleted, average rating restored. Conclusion: Taking Back Control Your online reputation is one of your most valuable assets. Negative Google search results don’t have to define you. Best case: Remove content at the source. Next best: File a removal request with Google. If all else fails: Suppress the results with SEO and content. 👉 The longer harmful results stay online, the more damage they cause. That’s why ContentRemoval.com exists: to help people like you remove, suppress, and protect their online reputation with proven strategies.
If you own a business in today's modern world, you know that it's no longer a question of whether you have an online presence or not. It's now a matter of what that online presence is. You need to know how people perceive your brand and whether that perception matches the one you want established. It's not wise to just let things fall where they may when your online reputation is involved. Businesses can't just let other people determine what their brand is, they should be the one on top of it controlling the narrative.