Reduce your data trail
Take back control of your data online
Understand what is collected, close unnecessary data flows, and make privacy settings work for you.
The big picture
Protection works in layers.
Privacy is not invisibility. It is the ability to decide what leaves your devices, why it is collected, how long it remains, and who can act on it. Start with the highest-impact data rather than toggling every setting.
Reducing collection also means checking the devices and AI services that continuously receive personal data. Explore Mobile security, AI privacy & protection, and Identity theft protection.
- 01
Map sensitive accounts and identifiers
- 02
Minimize collection and permissions
- 03
Separate identities where useful
- 04
Exercise access and deletion rights
Private, in-browser check
Privacy posture check
Answer four quick prompts. The result stays in this tab and points you to a relevant guide.
Hub & spoke library
Follow the full pathway.
Start with the guide closest to your situation. Each spoke returns here so you can move from immediate action to long-term protection.
Your digital footprint
Inventory the public, observed, and volunteered information that forms your searchable and inferred profile.
How websites track you
Understand cookies, pixels, fingerprinting, local storage, and link decoration so privacy controls make sense.
How data brokers collect your information
Follow how public records, purchases, apps, and inferred attributes become broker profiles.
Data broker opt-out directory
Use a repeatable removal workflow with verification, evidence, and a calendar for rechecks.
Privacy settings for major devices
Configure high-impact privacy controls across phones, computers, browsers, smart speakers, TVs, and routers.
Secure browsing guide
Reduce tracking, malicious downloads, deceptive sites, and session exposure while keeping the web usable.
Cookie tracking explained
Distinguish necessary session cookies from cross-site tracking and learn what clearing cookies does—and does not—change.
At a glance
A working model
Use this table to connect the control to the result and the moment it needs attention.
| Layer | What it changes | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Account data | Profile, contacts, history | Delete old accounts; limit sharing |
| Device data | Location, sensors, identifiers | Review permissions monthly |
| Web activity | Cookies, pixels, fingerprinting | Block cross-site tracking |
| Broker records | Addresses, relatives, interests | Opt out and re-check |