{"id":18761,"date":"2010-10-13T11:10:55","date_gmt":"2010-10-13T16:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=18761"},"modified":"2010-10-13T11:10:55","modified_gmt":"2010-10-13T16:10:55","slug":"ask-leo-how-do-i-block-people-from-finding-information-about-me-on-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/ask-leo-how-do-i-block-people-from-finding-information-about-me-on-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Leo: How do I block people from finding information about me on the internet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"askleo\"<\/p>\n

By Leo Notenboom<\/p>\n

How do I block people from finding me and information about me on
\nthe internet? I want to erase myself from the internet. How do I stop
\nmy name and my information from showing when people google me or search
\nfor me on the internet?<\/p>\n

This is, sadly, an extremely common question. I say sadly, because
\nthe answer is both disappointingly complex, and ultimately
\nunattainable.<\/p>\n

The short answer is very, very simple: you don’t.<\/p>\n

The longer answer involves understanding how little control you have,
\nwhat steps you can try, and how effective they may or may not
\nbe.<\/p>\n

I want to start with something else: prevention. Prevention is
\nreally the only cure, and even then it’s not at all complete.<\/p>\n

Assume that everything you put on the internet will remain there
\nforever, and will be viewed in the worst possible light. Let’s be
\nclear, I’m not saying that it will<\/em> be there forever, or that
\nit will<\/em> be viewed in the worst possible, light. What I’m
\nsaying is that that’s the safest way to view how what you say, do and post
\nin public might<\/em> be used. To the extent that you have control
\nabout what goes on the web before it goes up, exercise caution, with
\nthose two phrases as your guide: “forever”, and “in the worst possible
\nlight”.<\/p>\n

Don’t quite feel like posting those party photos now do you?<\/p>\n

And that leads to the most common example we hear about all the
\ntime: someone losing a job or job offer because they spoke their mind
\nin a public post, or posted unflattering photos of themselves, or
\notherwise made public information that they ultimately regretted.
\nInformation that their employer eventually found that impacted their
\njob.<\/p>\n

It happens all the time.<\/p>\n

One of the counter arguments is along the lines of “I should be able
\nto post and say and do whatever I want.” Freedom of speech, and all
\nthat.<\/p>\n

Absolutely. You’re very right. Go ahead. Post and say what you like.
\nIn most countries you have the right to say pretty much whatever you
\nlike. Just remember that freedom of speech does not mean freedom
\nfrom consequences<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Because chances are you’re not going to get whatever it is removed
\nfrom the internet.<\/p>\n

And even preventing what you do may not be enough. What about other
\nsources of information that might relate to you?<\/p>\n

You can’t control what others say or post about you. (Within the
\nlegal limits of harassment, libel and slander, of course, and even then
\nwithin the limits of your own legal or justice system and your
\nresources.)<\/p>\n

Have you perhaps been mentioned in a newspaper? Listed in publicly
\naccessible government or organization records? Do you participate in
\ndiscussion groups that are visible and\/or archived publicly?<\/p>\n

All of these are ways you can show up online. I’m sure that there
\nare plenty more.<\/p>\n

And most all are places from which you probably can’t remove
\nyourself.<\/p>\n

But I know you want to try, so let’s see what we can do.<\/p>\n

Article continued here<\/a><\/p>\n

FaceBook URL: Leo’s Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter URL: http:\/\/twitter.com\/askleo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"askleo\"<\/p>\n

By Leo Notenboom<\/p>\n

How do I block people from finding me and information about me on
\nthe internet? I want to erase myself from the internet. How do I stop
\nmy name and my information from showing when people google me or search
\nfor me on the internet?<\/p>\n

This is, sadly, an extremely common question. I say sadly, because
\nthe answer is both disappointingly complex, and ultimately
\nunattainable.<\/p>\n

The short answer is very, very simple…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":66012,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[46,103,1726,119,81,1727,4875,1728,1729,1730,860],"class_list":["post-18761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leo-notenboom","tag-ask-leo","tag-control","tag-freedom-of-speech","tag-google","tag-information","tag-job-offer","tag-leo-notenboom","tag-losing-a-job","tag-party-photos","tag-possible-light","tag-post"],"yoast_head":"\nAsk Leo: How do I block people from finding information about me on the internet?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Leo Notenboom How do I block people from finding me and information about me on the internet? 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