Control Your Privacy: 6 Practical Steps You Can Take Right Now to Share Less of Your Personal Data

In today's digital world, sharing personal information is almost inevitable—but that doesn't mean you have to give away more than necessary. While privacy might seem like a lost cause, especially with advertisers and even your smart devices knowing so much about you, there are simple measures you can take to protect yourself. If you're concerned about your privacy or want to be more mindful of your digital footprint, start with these six practical steps.

You can't stop all your data from ending up on the internet, but you can take control of what's out there, understand where it's going, and assess if it puts you at risk. Remember, your data is valuable—protecting it is one of the best things you can do for your digital self, now and in the future.

Related: Why you should plan what happens to your data after death.

1. Read Privacy Policies (and say not to those which don’t respect your data)

It's easy to click "Agree" without a second thought, but taking a few minutes to read through the privacy policies can help you understand how your data will be shared and used. Yes, it's tedious—according to a report by the Consumer Policy Research Centre, it takes a person 14 hours to read all the privacy policies they encounter in a single day.

Tip: Focus on sections about data collection and sharing. If something doesn't sit right with you, think twice before agreeing.

Related: Know your rights. The right to object to the use of your data

2. Adjust privacy settings

Many apps and websites allow you to control who can see your information through privacy settings. But how often do you check these settings? Every time you install an app, you're usually granting it permissions to access various data, turning your device into a data-mining goldmine. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these settings can help protect your personal information.

Tip: Regularly check and update the privacy settings on your accounts. Make sure you're only sharing information with people you trust, and review app permissions to minimize data exposure.

Related: How to Detect and Remove Invasive Apps Spying on Your Phone

3. Keep a low profile on social media

Be cautious about sharing too much personal information on social media. Posting things like your location, vacation plans, or too many personal details can make you vulnerable to criminals. Research shows that people with active social media profiles are 30% to 46% more likely to become victims of identity theft or account takeovers.

Tip: To protect your privacy on social media, start by setting your profile to private. Next, be selective about who you connect with. Avoid accepting friend requests or follow requests from people you don't know; they might just want to access to your personal life or information. Lastly, it's important to regularly check the information being collected about you.

Related: Know your rights. Why and how to ask companies for copies of your data.

4. Log out, delete, uninstall

Unused apps and old accounts are like open doors for hackers. Even if you're not using an app or account, it can still store your data and track your activities. Logging out of services when you're not using them and regularly clearing your cookies and browsing history can help slow down data collection.

Tip: Regularly review and clean up your apps and online accounts. If you don't use certain apps or online accounts, it's best to delete them to reduce your digital footprint.

Related: How to Find and Delete Forgotten Online Accounts

5. Avoid Quizzes, Games, and Copy/Paste Pleas on Social Media

Those fun quizzes, games, and memes on social media might seem harmless, but they can be a way for companies—or scammers—to collect your personal data. For example, a seemingly innocent Facebook quiz may request access to your profile information or urge you to disclose personal details that could be used for identity theft. Sharing information like your "rock star name," often based on common security question answers, such as your first pet's name or your mother's maiden name, can provide cyber thieves with valuable information.

Tip: Skip the quizzes and games that ask for personal information. They might be fun, but the risk isn't worth it.

Related:

How to Spot the Difference Between a Genuine Copy-Paste Facebook Plea and a Scam Attempt

From fun to data loss: the dark side of Facebook quizzes

6. Get the right Tech Solutions

Technology can be your ally in protecting your privacy.

For example:

· Bitdefender Premium VPN can encrypt your internet connection, making it harder for others to track your online activities.

· Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection takes it a step further by continuously monitoring your personal information, alerting you if it's found on a breach or on the dark web, and offering advice on how to reduce your digital footprint and how to set up settings for enhanced privacy.

· Scamio rescues your data and your money from falling into the scammers' hands. Every time you suspect someone is trying to scam you, you can check it with our AI-powered scam detection tool. Send any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images to Scamio, which will analyze them to determine if they are part of a scam. Scamio is free and available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and your web browser. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK.