By Leo Notenboom
How do I block people from finding me and information about me on
the internet? I want to erase myself from the internet. How do I stop
my name and my information from showing when people google me or search
for me on the internet?
This is, sadly, an extremely common question. I say sadly, because
the answer is both disappointingly complex, and ultimately
unattainable.
The short answer is very, very simple: you don’t.
The longer answer involves understanding how little control you have,
what steps you can try, and how effective they may or may not
be.
I want to start with something else: prevention. Prevention is
really the only cure, and even then it’s not at all complete.
Assume that everything you put on the internet will remain there
forever, and will be viewed in the worst possible light. Let’s be
clear, I’m not saying that it will be there forever, or that
it will be viewed in the worst possible, light. What I’m
saying is that that’s the safest way to view how what you say, do and post
in public might be used. To the extent that you have control
about what goes on the web before it goes up, exercise caution, with
those two phrases as your guide: “forever”, and “in the worst possible
light”.
Don’t quite feel like posting those party photos now do you?
And that leads to the most common example we hear about all the
time: someone losing a job or job offer because they spoke their mind
in a public post, or posted unflattering photos of themselves, or
otherwise made public information that they ultimately regretted.
Information that their employer eventually found that impacted their
job.
It happens all the time.
One of the counter arguments is along the lines of “I should be able
to post and say and do whatever I want.” Freedom of speech, and all
that.
Absolutely. You’re very right. Go ahead. Post and say what you like.
In most countries you have the right to say pretty much whatever you
like. Just remember that freedom of speech does not mean freedom
from consequences.
Because chances are you’re not going to get whatever it is removed
from the internet.
And even preventing what you do may not be enough. What about other
sources of information that might relate to you?
You can’t control what others say or post about you. (Within the
legal limits of harassment, libel and slander, of course, and even then
within the limits of your own legal or justice system and your
resources.)
Have you perhaps been mentioned in a newspaper? Listed in publicly
accessible government or organization records? Do you participate in
discussion groups that are visible and/or archived publicly?
All of these are ways you can show up online. I’m sure that there
are plenty more.
And most all are places from which you probably can’t remove
yourself.
But I know you want to try, so let’s see what we can do.
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