LGBT Q&A: How to Limit Digital Footprints and Protect Your Identity

• While you cannot erase your entire digital history, proactive steps can significantly reduce the amount of personal information linking to your queer identity.
• Information is primarily found in two locations: sites where you posted it (social media, forums) and data brokers who sell compiled personal profiles.
• Immediate action is critical; it is much harder to remove information once it is exploited by bad actors.

Auditing Your Presence

• Use search engines to look for your name, nicknames, handles, avatars, phone numbers, and email addresses.
• Conduct searches in a private browsing window or a separate, logged-out browser to ensure unbiased results.

Strengthening Security

• Use unique passwords managed by a password manager.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts.
• Install "Privacy Badger" to block web trackers used by advertisers and data brokers.
• Disable or remove your advertising ID on mobile devices (Android or iPhone) to limit behavioral tracking.

Minimizing Data Footprint

• Request the deletion of personal data from data brokers. Residents of California can utilize the Privacy Protection Agency’s tool, while others might consider services like EasyOptOuts or Optery.
• Use Google's "Results about you" tool to remove specific personal information from search results (note: this does not remove the data from the source website).
• Perform a comprehensive audit of all historical social media and forum accounts. Review public-facing content for sensitive identifiers like home locations or workplace images, and update privacy settings or credentials accordingly.
• Consult the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) "Surveillance Self-Defense" guide for more detailed instructions on managing your digital footprint.