Are you using Gmail and Google Maps, or Meta products such as Facebook? If yes, the truth is that there are hundreds of companies out there that know so much about you unless you take steps to erase your online identity from Google and Facebook.
Your main headache should be “How to delete everything Google knows about you” and possibly start on a fresh page with little or no information about you being captured and used.
Another fact is that companies such as Google know you better than you know yourself and have great levels of your personal data especially if you have and use an Android mobile device.
Services such as Google Maps, Gmail, Google Photos, or even Google Drive can provide great details about your identity and what you do online.
Are you surprised Facebook can remind you of posts you made long ago and have forgotten? What about Google Maps which gives you an update on places you have visited, and how long you have worked or stayed in a given location? Each day and minute by minute, you are monitored
Let us take a good look at How to erase your online identity from Google and Facebook
How to erase your online identity from Google and Facebook: Delete everything Google knows about you
Your personal data is always stored on Google each time you use a service connected to your account.
To delete everything Google knows about you online, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your Google Account page.
- Click on the Data & privacy tab.
- Scroll down to History settings and click on Web & App Activity.
- Click on Manage Activity.
- Above your activity, click Delete.
- Select All time.
- Click Next and then Delete.
This will delete all of your Google search history, YouTube viewing history, Google Assistant commands, and other interactions with Google apps and services.
You can also delete individual pieces of activity by clicking on the three dots next to them and selecting Delete.
To delete your Google Account altogether, go to the Data & privacy tab and scroll down to Delete your Google Account. Click on Delete your account and follow the instructions.
Keep in mind that once you delete your Google Account, you will lose access to all of your Google data, including your Gmail account, Google Drive files, and Google Photos photos.
Here are some additional tips for deleting everything Google knows about you online:
- Clear your browser cache and cookies.
- Delete your Google Maps location history.
- Delete your Google Play Store purchase history.
- Delete your Google Voice call history and transcripts.
- Delete your Google Ads preferences.
- Delete your Google Analytics data.
READ: Meta Verified: How to Verify Your Instagram and Facebook Accounts
How to delete everything Facebook knows about you
To delete everything Facebook knows about you, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your Facebook Settings page.
- Click on Your Facebook Information in the left-hand column.
- Click on Download Your Information at the bottom of the page.
- Select all of the types of data that you want to download and click Request Download.
- Facebook will create a zip file of your data. Once it is ready, you can download it and review it.
- To delete your data, go back to your Settings page and click on Delete Your Account and Information.
- Click on Delete Account and follow the instructions.
Keep in mind that once you delete your Facebook account, you will lose access to all of your Facebook data, including your photos, videos, and messages.
Here are some additional tips for deleting everything Facebook knows about you:
- Delete all of your Facebook posts, photos, and videos.
- Delete all of your Facebook friends.
- Leave all of the Facebook groups and pages that you are a member of.
- Delete all of the Facebook apps that you have installed.
- Turn off Facebook’s Off-Facebook Activity tracking.
You can also use a service like Deseat.me to automate the process of deleting your data from Facebook and other online services.
Note: It is important to note that Facebook may still retain some of your data even after you have deleted it. For example, Facebook may keep your data for legal or security reasons.
Additionally, some of your data may still be visible to others who have downloaded it before you deleted it. For example, if you shared a photo with a friend and they downloaded it, they will still have a copy of the photo even after you have deleted it from your account.
We hope this post” How to erase your online identity from Google and Facebook” has been useful to you.