All lessons
👣Lesson 14

Leave a Smaller Digital Trail

Post like strangers are watching — because they are

You can't fully undo what's online, but you can shrink the trail. Fewer public details mean fewer footholds for harassers, stalkers, and doxers.

Post with a stranger in mind

Before sharing, ask how comfortable you'd be with a stranger knowing this — your location, workplace, routine, or family.

  • Strip location data and identifying backgrounds from photos.
  • Delay 'I'm here' posts until after you've left.
  • Prefer time-limited formats (Stories) for casual updates.
  • Delete old posts you no longer need public.

Shrink your public data

Data brokers and old profiles quietly rebuild a map of you. Audit yourself the way a harasser would.

  • Search your name, email, and phone; set Google Alerts for each.
  • Use a reverse image search to find photos of yourself online.
  • Submit opt-out requests to data broker sites.
  • Leave and clean out old group chats, forums, and Facebook groups.

Separate work from personal

Blur the line between your professional persona and personal life so a work-related attack can't spill into home.

  • Use different usernames and photos for work vs. personal accounts.
  • Keep family and children off public professional profiles.
  • Use a work-only email and phone number for public listings.