Would you like to escape from the internet? While virtual notoriety exalts some people, for others, however, it can be a real burden. Completely unsubscribing from the internet is not always possible but, if you follow these steps, you can surely get close.
Steps
Step 1. Think carefully before taking action
Many things that will be suggested to you in this guide are not reversible; which means you may lose information and other virtual traces of yours. Furthermore, in some cases, you may even lose the opportunity to regain your account using the same name or the same email address. In short, being a drastic measure, it must be carefully analyzed before implementing it.
- Consider why you want to unsubscribe. Have you come across a cyberstalker? Have you had a negative experience? Or are you simply tired of the fact that the internet takes up too much space in your life?
- The problem can be circumvented by changing the name you usually use on the internet or by using a different email account. For example, if you use your current email address for frivolous things, create a new account that you will need for business purposes instead.
- Keep in mind that it is not always easy to remember all the sites you have created or in which you have participated.
Step 2. Delete your accounts
As stated above, chances are you've joined a lot of sites that you don't remember. In any case, the more the web page is known, the better it is for you to unsubscribe if you want to disappear from the internet. For sure you will not be eliminated from the "deep memory" of the web but it is a good start. Here are the first sites to unsubscribe from:
- Youtube
- Flickr
- MySpace
- PayPal
- eBay
- Local advertising sites
- Game sites. Yes, there you have all the virtual items you have won over the years. If the page allows it, give them to those who will be pleased to receive them.
- Close associated accounts.
Step 3. Some sites do not allow you to completely delete themselves and only allow you to "deactivate" (which means that your data remains in the system) or to abandon your account
If you are motivated by an important reason that makes you want to disappear from those pages as well, get in touch with the site owner or the administrators. They should, at the very least, give you the option to change your name in order to cover your true identity. However, if you do not receive any response, there is another way to cancel your account:
- Remove every single data that concerns you from the account. If you cannot leave certain fields blank or if you suspect that your data is still saved somewhere, put a false name (Dingus Oppenheimer IV) or extremely generic (John Smith). Remember that the site will send you a confirmation email, therefore, do not provide a non-existent address. Which brings us to the next step.
- Create a new email with a free email provider. The more unlikely your username, the better (Example: [email protected]). Again, enter false data. Do not close this page for now: if the address is strange, they will hardly find you.
- Associate the non-deletable account with this new address and confirm the email they sent you regarding the modification of your data. After that, make sure your real address no longer appears on the site.
- Delete the new email address. Now, your undeletable account is associated with an address that no longer exists. There is always a chance that, one day, someone else who has exactly the email [email protected] wants to create an account on the site from which you have disassociated and, since they cannot do so, will feel confused. Either way, this will no longer concern you.
Step 4. Close your personal sites, such as:
- Blog. If you have a popular blog, there will likely be traces of it scattered around the internet. These, unfortunately, you will not be able to remove them.
- Blog within sites.
- Groups such as Yahoo Groups.
- Forum post. This may be nearly impossible on some sites but do what you can.
- Articles you have added on certain sites. The removal of these may depend on the conditions provided by the pages themselves.
Step 5. Ask your telephone company if your number appears online
If so, ask them to completely remove the details on your account. The same goes for all other service databases you are registered with.
Step 6. Unsubscribe from all mailing lists
Doing so is easy: you just have to scroll through the email to the end and follow the direct link to unsubscribe. If you don't find any instructions, contact an administrator.
Step 7. Unsubscribe from referring sites by searching for your name on a search engine
This way, you will also find the pages you forgot about and can remove yourself from them as well. Remember, search engine results often also show caches of old sites and data that has already been edited or changed. However, since providing outdated results is not in the interests of a search engine, they will disappear over time. In some cases, however, you may want to get in touch with the same search engines for certain deletions. Be aware that to remove yourself from search engines, it may sometimes be necessary to send documents that, in the real world, include office practices (for example, sending faxes confirming your identity). Major research sites to consider include:
- Yahoo
- Bing
Step 8. Be polite when contacting website managers, however angry or afraid you may be:
you will be dealing with humans and they will respond to reasonable requests to be fulfilled in equally reasonable terms. If you want to delete your name because you are looking for a job, say so or, in any case, give them the real reason that makes you want to remove yourself from the web. Avoid yelling or threatening to take legal action (unless administrators behave in an uncooperative way).
Step 9. Consider the possibility of contacting a professional company specializing in removal from the internet
In fact, if contacting each site seems like a waste of energy (and sometimes it will be), you should contact professionals to take care of it for you. Of course, this is a paid service. However, if you really need to unsubscribe from the internet, choosing it is the best thing you can do. Look for a company that can:
- Remove yourself from the "deeper web" rather than just the obvious pages.
- Having entered into agreements with data source providers.
Step 10. Delete your email account
If you go this far, the cancellation method will depend on whether you use a paid service or a free service on the web. Wait until the end to proceed with this action: you will probably need the email for the other steps listed here.
- If it is a free service (Gmail, Hotmail, etc.), follow the instructions on the site.
- If it is a paid site, contact the company for instructions.
- Some free accounts cancel themselves if you don't use them for a while.
- Always make sure you are not permanently deleting vital information that you will need in real life. Transfer all the materials you will need to a USB stick.
Step 11. Clean your computer
- Remove history, cookies, etc.
- Remove the program to use the internet if you are absolutely categorical.
- Get rid of your computer if you have decided to give up on "cold technology".
Step 12. Ignore what you can't remove:
there are things we cannot control. If so, accept the facts and go your own way. If your internet past comes back to haunt you, you can always deny it's about you, especially if you have a common name! Finally, remember that it will be difficult to unsubscribe from:
- Mentions in news, audio files, etc.
- Interviews that have been done to you, radio stations, etc.
- The comments you left almost everywhere.
- Photos of yours in other people's online albums.
- Photos of you that have ended up on other people's sites and blogs.
- Government sources deemed appropriate to keep public (unless a procedure has been initiated to remove them).
Advice
- If you decide to unsubscribe from the internet because the web has become your drug, you may want to seek help from a specialist.
- There are software that allows you to remove yourself from websites. Search online to find them.
- If there is false or defamatory information circulating on the web about you, ask a lawyer for advice.
- If you are bothered by having your personal data on the internet and you don't know what to do, contact the Postal Police.
Warnings
- As you can see, unsubscribing from the internet is not always easy. To prevent any problems, always pay attention to what you share online. Prevention is better than cure.
- Some sites use emotional blackmail techniques to encourage you to stay. Comments such as “all your friends will miss you” were created just to make you think twice about unsubscribing. After all, a site doesn't want to lose subscribers. If you are hesitating, take photos of your real-life friends and place them on your desk while you unsubscribe from the web page; afterwards, call them to go for a drink and spend time together. You will forget about virtual friendships in an instant.
- Expect some webmasters to insist that their sites have the "right" to keep public information public. Some of them will not understand that yours is a personal motivation and that you want to protect your privacy and will see your request as a real affront. You continue to insist and, if necessary, get help from a lawyer.
