How to clear your digital footprint: what Google, Meta and other services store about you

What is a digital footprint and where does it come from?

A digital footprint is the collection of information that a person leaves behind whilst using the internet and digital services. It can broadly be divided into two parts.

• posts and photos on social media;
• comments and reviews;
• messages;
• completed forms;
• website registrations;
• purchases and orders;
• videos or other content that you have uploaded.

A passive digital footprintis formed without any specific action on your part. This includes, for example, search history, browsing history, device information, approximate or exact location, interactions with adverts, pages visited, and so on.

This is precisely why deleting a single old post does not mean you have completely cleared your digital footprint.

What data might major services store about you?

Different companies collect different categories of information, but the overall picture is similar. The more services you use under a single account, the more information can accumulate in one place.

Google: Search, YouTube, Maps and more

If you use Google, the company may store a history of your interactions with its services in your account. In the «My Activity» section, you can view, amongst other things, search queries, videos you’ve watched, articles you’ve read and other activities, depending on your account settings.

Data may also be stored separately within specific services. For example, location history is linked to Google Maps Timeline, whilst emails, photos and files are stored in Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive respectively — these need to be deleted directly within those services.

In other words, there isn’t a single «Delete your Google digital footprint» button. You’ll need to go through several sections.

Meta: Facebook and Instagram

Meta brings together many of the settings for Facebook and Instagram in the Account Centre. There, you can view and manage information, ad settings and other preferences for your linked accounts.

Facebook, for example, allows you to view your activity history: posts, comments, preferences, search queries and interactions with apps. You can view information separately about your activity on websites and services outside of Meta’s platforms.

Meta may also receive information about your interactions with its products, devices and partners. This data includes information about your device, the content you interact with, your activities on services and information that partners share via relevant tools.

Other services

This principle applies not only to Google and Meta. You also leave a digital footprint on:

• TikTok and other social media platforms;
• online shops;
• marketplaces;
• streaming services;
• delivery services;
• taxi and navigation apps;
• forums and review sites;
• services where you’ve signed up via Google or Facebook.

So clearing your digital footprint isn’t just a one-off deletion of your browser history, but a quick review of your accounts.

How to clear your digital footprint on Google

It is best to start with Google: a single account can be linked to Search, YouTube, Maps, email, photos, and dozens of third-party apps.

Step 1. Check «My Activity»

Open «My Activity» in Google and review the data stored in your account.

Here, you can filter activity by date, product, or keyword. If you find information you no longer wish to keep, you can delete specific items or data from a particular time period. Google also allows you to delete your entire activity history.

If you want to start fresh, follow these steps:

«My Activity» → «Delete» → «All Time» → «Next» → «Delete».

However, before clicking that final button, consider whether you really need to delete your entire history. It is used, among other things, to personalize search results and recommendations.

Step 2. Enable automatic deletion

To avoid repeating the entire process manually in a year, set up automatic cleanup.

Google allows you to choose automatic deletion for certain types of activity older than 3, 18, or 36 months.

This is one of the easiest ways to manage your digital footprint: instead of having to remember to clean up your data regularly, you simply set up a rule once.

Step 3. Check your location history

If you have Google Maps Timeline enabled, check specifically what location data is being stored.

This is especially worth doing if you have been using Google Maps for a long time, travel frequently, or simply do not want to keep a record of your movements.

Step 4. Review your YouTube activity

Think back to how many videos you’ve watched over the past few years. Chances are, some of them no longer align with your current interests.

You can view and delete your YouTube watch and search history individually or set up automatic clearing. This not only removes old entries but also helps make your recommendations more relevant.

Step 5. Check third-party apps

This is an important step that is often overlooked.

If you have ever used the «Sign in with Google» option, a specific website or app may have gained access to some of your account information. Google allows you to review these connections and revoke access.

Go through the list and remove any services you no longer use.

An important detail: revoking access does not necessarily delete the information the third-party service has already obtained. In such cases, you need to delete the data directly within the service itself.

How to clear your digital footprint on Facebook and Instagram

Meta consolidates many key settings within the Accounts Center.

The names of specific items may vary slightly depending on the app version, so don't be alarmed if your interface looks a bit different.

Step 1. Open the «Accounts Center»

Locate the «Accounts Center» within your Facebook or Instagram settings.

This is where settings related to linked Meta accounts are centralized.

Step 2. Review your information

Find a section labeled something like «Your information and permissions».

Meta allows you to view your account information, download a copy of it, and manage certain data and activity.

Before performing a major cleanup, it is a good idea to download a copy of your data first. If there is anything important in your old photos or posts, it is best not to delete them without having a backup.

Step 3. Check your Activity Log

Facebook’s Activity Log helps you find old posts, comments, likes, search queries, and other actions. You can archive or delete some of this content.

This is especially useful if you have been using Facebook for many years. An old profile is sometimes like a closet that has never been organized: it seems like everything in there is essential, yet among the items, you might find things you had long forgotten about.

Review at least the following:

• old posts;
• photos;
• comments;
• tags in other people's photos;
• old likes/reactions;
• search history.

Step 4. Check off-Meta activity

Another area worth paying attention to is your activity outside of Meta’s platforms.

This refers to information Meta receives from companies and organizations regarding your interactions with their websites or apps. Facebook allows you to view and clear this activity.

This is one of the most interesting sections for anyone wanting to understand just how large their digital footprint actually is.

Step 5. Review your privacy settings

After deleting old data, it is worth checking who can see what you are currently posting.

Facebook has a Privacy Checkup tool that helps you review your privacy settings and determine who has access to your profile information and posts.

After all, there is little point in deleting old posts every month if you simultaneously leave all new publications visible to everyone.

And what about information that appears on Google?

There is another important point: deleting information from your Google account and removing it from search results are not the same thing.

For instance, suppose you find your old phone number or home address on a website via Google. Deleting your search history won't change this, as the information resides on a third-party site.

Google offers a tool called «Results about you», which allows you to monitor the appearance of personal information — such as phone numbers, addresses, or email addresses — in search results and, in certain cases, request their removal.

However, it is important to understand the distinction: removing a result from Google does not automatically delete the information from the website itself.

Therefore, the best approach — whenever possible — is to first ask the website owner to remove the information, and only then, if necessary, contact Google regarding the search result.

Should you delete your entire digital footprint?

The answer is no. The goal of a digital cleanup isn't to turn yourself into an «invisible person» online. That is practically impossible — and not always necessary.

For instance, you might find it convenient for Google to save some of your history and show relevant recommendations. You might also need Instagram for work, Facebook for staying in touch with others, and Google Maps for navigation.

1. Do I need this information?
   If not — delete it.
2. Do I understand who has access to it?
   If not — check the settings.
3. Do I want this service to keep collecting such data?
   If not — disable the relevant history or permission.

This approach is far more practical than trying to delete everything at once.

When to Clean Up Your Digital Footprint

Regularly reviewing your accounts is beneficial for everyone, but there are specific situations where it deserves extra attention:

• You’ve been using social media for a long time.

  Five or ten years of active presence on Facebook or Instagram means thousands of posts, reactions, and comments. Some of these may no longer align with your current views or interests, or simply hold no value anymore.

• You are changing jobs.

  Before looking for a new job, it’s worth checking what information about you is publicly available. Old public posts or photos might create an impression that differs from the image you want to project today.

• You are switching phones or primary accounts.

  This is a great opportunity to get rid of old apps, unnecessary connections, and services you no longer use.

• You frequently sign up for new websites.

  The more services linked to a single Google, Facebook, or other account, the more places there are where your personal information is stored.

• You simply haven’t done it in a long time.

  This is arguably the best reason of all. Digital hygiene is much like cleaning your home: if you do a little bit at a time, you won’t have to spend an entire day off sorting through the accumulated clutter later.

What else can you do for digital privacy?

Clearing out old data is only half the battle; the other half is avoiding the accumulation of unnecessary data moving forward.

Here is a quick checklist:

• regularly review app permissions;
• delete accounts you no longer use;
• avoid sharing your phone number or other personal data unless necessary;
• check privacy settings on social media;
• periodically review which third-party services are connected to your Google and other accounts;
• do not use the same password for every service;
• enable two-factor authentication for important accounts;
• check the permissions an app requests before installing it.

And one more simple habit: don’t automatically agree to everything a website proposes. If a service asks for access to your contacts, location, microphone, or photos, ask yourself if it really needs that information.

It is best to clean up your digital footprint regularly.

It is virtually impossible to delete absolutely everything about yourself that has ever appeared online. Some information may remain on third-party sites, in backups, or within other services.

However, this does not mean you have no control over your digital footprint.

Every few months, it is worth spending at least 20-30 minutes checking your main accounts — Google, Facebook, Instagram, email, cloud storage, and apps you previously granted access to. Delete what you no longer need, limit unnecessary data collection, and review your privacy settings.

Your digital footprint won’t disappear completely as a result, but it will become significantly smaller and, most importantly, more manageable.

An important detail: when discussing your digital footprint, it is important not to conflate different things. The provider connecting you to the internet and the social network where you «like» posts are different links in the same chain. Social networks track your interactions with their services, while websites and apps may access information based on their specific settings and permissions.

Therefore, digital privacy isn't just a matter of flipping a single switch on your router. It involves a whole system of habits: what you post, the permissions you grant, the accounts you use, and how carefully you manage your settings.

For its part, Maxnet provides internet access; it does not manage your accounts on Google, Meta, or other services. So, if you decide to conduct a comprehensive «digital audit», start with the platforms you use every day.