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However, there are a few quick tricks that can really make a difference.

However, I’m going to outline four realistic steps that anyone can take which will immediately help.

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If you want to take it further, the sky’s the limit.

NordVPN is the best we’ve tested and at$3.39 per month, it’s great value.

There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN: the best VPN overall

Sign up on the NordVPN website.

Decline third-party cookies

Cookies are small files that websites store on your gear to help them perform certain functions.

These are known as “functional” cookies.

A number of phones displaying different social media apps

However, often bundled along with these are “third-party” cookies.

Declining these third-party cookies ensures your data isn’t sold on to advertisers and data brokers.

Of course you could and arguably should go a step further and delete all your cookies after every session.

Surfshark | 2 years | $2.19 per month

If that’s not an issue, do it.

Now that you’ve given away all this information, surely there’s no way back?

Well, that’s not quite the case.

Graphic of smartphone with cybersecurity shield

There’s a second problem here, though.

That’s where personal data removal services come in.

These services work by requesting your personal data is removed en masse from hundreds of different data brokers.

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The process is largely automated, and they are effective for reducing spam and cleansing your digital footprint.

it’s possible for you to also say goodbye to strangers and nameless bot accounts viewing your Instagram story.

There’s more, though.

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, Threads apps on an iPhone

While social media sites are rarely scraped for Google results, profiles may appear in searches.

One answer to this is to have a dedicated “burner” email you use for potentially spam-inducing sign-ups.

If you want, you might sporadically abandon and remake the burner email, too.

mobile security

Another option is to use Surfshark’sAlternative ID.

Prices start at$2.19 per month, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Sign up on the Surfshark website.

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses.

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services.

Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

ExpressVPN on an iPhone

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Sebastian De Souza as Garrett and Sofia Carson as Alex in “The Life List” on Netflix