The Wirecutter Show Can You Really Disappear Online?
37 snips
Jun 25, 2025 
Max Eddy, a Wirecutter writer specializing in privacy and security, discusses the daunting quest to disappear online. He shares his personal journey and the emotional challenges of erasing digital footprints. Listeners learn about tools to check for data breaches and ways to manage their online presence more effectively. The conversation highlights the complexities of deleting social media accounts and offers practical strategies to mitigate unwanted visibility. Max emphasizes the importance of protective measures in an increasingly interconnected world.
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Check Breaches on Have I Been Pwned
- Use Have I Been Pwned free service to see if your email is in known data breaches.
- Change passwords if they were exposed and take steps to protect your personal info.
Use Google's Info Suppression Tool
- Use Google's "Results About You" tool to suppress personal info in search results.
- Remember suppression doesn't delete info; it might still be found by other means.
How Data Brokers Work
- Data brokers collect and combine personal data from multiple sources to create detailed dossiers.
- This collected info can include names, phone numbers, addresses, and even relatives.
