What you can actually delete, and what you cannot

You cannot delete information from the entire internet — once something is posted, copied, or indexed, you have lost complete control of it. What you can do is remove it from the places you posted it, ask search engines to stop showing it, and request that certain websites take it down under privacy laws. The realistic goal is to reduce how easily someone can find your information, not to erase it entirely.

Information falls into three categories: things you posted yourself, things other people posted about you, and things collected by companies tracking your activity. Each requires a different approach, and some are much harder to remove than others.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete posts and accounts you created, but copies may exist on archive sites like the Wayback Machine that you cannot control.
  • Search engines like Google will remove links to deleted pages if you request it, but the original page must actually be gone first.
  • Information posted by other people — photos, reviews, comments — requires contacting that website or the person who posted it.
  • Data collected by companies (browsing history, location, purchase records) can be limited through privacy settings and opt-out requests, but deletion is often not possible.
  • Some information is protected by law in certain places — the EU's GDPR gives stronger deletion rights than US law does.

Removing posts and accounts you created yourself

Start with the easiest category: content you posted. Go through your social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Reddit) and delete posts you no longer want visible. On most platforms, you find the post, click the three-dot menu, and select delete. The post disappears from your profile and from search results within hours or days.

Deleting your entire account is more thorough but permanent. On Facebook, go to Settings > Your Information > Deactivation and Deletion and choose Delete Account. On Instagram, go to Settings > Help > Delete Account. Twitter/X is Settings > Account > Deactivate Your Account. Each platform has a waiting period (usually 30 days) during which you can cancel the deletion. After that, your account and all its posts are gone from that platform's servers.

The catch: archive sites like the Wayback Machine (archive.org) may have saved copies of your old pages. You can request removal from the Wayback Machine by going to that site, entering your URL, and clicking "Remove This URL From Archive.org". It takes a few days to process. Other archive sites exist, but the Wayback Machine is the largest and most commonly used.

Removing yourself from search results

After you delete a post or page, search engines like Google still show the old link in their results. You need to tell Google the page is gone. Go to Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console), sign in with your Google account, and add your website or domain. Then go to Removals > Remove URLs and paste the link you want removed. Google will stop showing that link within days.

If you do not own the website (for example, a post on someone else's blog), you cannot use Search Console. Instead, go directly to Google's removal request form at google.com/webmasters/tools/removals. You can request removal of a specific URL, but Google will ask you to prove you own it or have permission to request its removal. If you cannot prove that, the link stays in search results even if the page itself is deleted.

Bing has its own removal tool at bing.com/webmaster/tools. The process is similar: sign in, add your site, and request removal of specific URLs. Most people focus on Google because it handles the majority of searches, but Bing is worth doing if you want to be thorough.

Dealing with information other people posted about you

This is harder because you do not control the content. Your options depend on what was posted and where. If someone posted a photo of you on Facebook without permission, you can report it to Facebook by clicking the three dots on the post and selecting "Report Post". Facebook will review it and may remove it if it violates their policies. If it is a photo of you that you did not consent to, Facebook is more likely to remove it than if it is just an unflattering comment.

For posts on other websites — a negative review, a comment on a blog, a photo on a forum — contact the website directly. Most sites have a "Report" or "Contact Us" option. Explain why the content should be removed: it is false, it violates privacy, it is harassment, or it is your personal information posted without consent. Response times vary from hours to weeks, and removal is not may provide.

If the information is false and damaging to your reputation, you may have legal options. In the US, you can send a cease-and-desist letter (or have a lawyer send one) demanding removal. In the EU, you have the right to request removal under GDPR if the information is inaccurate or no longer necessary. These routes are expensive and slow, but they exist if the content is serious enough.

Reducing data collection by companies

Companies collect information about you through websites, apps, and tracking pixels — tiny invisible images that follow you across the internet. You cannot delete this data retroactively in most cases, but you can limit what gets collected going forward and request what has already been collected.

Start with your browser. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data and select All Time. This deletes cookies, cached images, and browsing history from your device (not from company servers). In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data. In Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data > Remove All. Do this regularly — monthly is reasonable.

For tracking across websites, enable Do Not Track in your browser settings (Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Do Not Track; Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Enhanced Tracking Protection). This sends a signal to websites asking them not to track you, but many ignore it. A better option is a privacy-focused browser extension like uBlock Origin (blocks ads and trackers) or Privacy Badger (blocks hidden trackers). These reduce what companies can collect, though they do not delete what was already collected.

To see what data specific companies have collected about you, you can request it. Google: go to myaccount.google.com > Data & Privacy > Your Data. Facebook: Settings > Your Information > read Your Information. Amazon: go to Your Account > Login & Security > read Your Personal Information. These requests show you what the company knows. Deletion is often limited — they may keep some data for legal reasons — but you can see what exists.

Understanding what you cannot delete

Some information is kept by law. Banks must keep financial records for seven years. Hospitals must keep medical records. Government agencies keep tax returns and court records indefinitely. You cannot delete these, but you can request corrections if the information is wrong.

Information shared with third parties is also difficult to delete. If you gave your email to a retailer and they sold it to a marketing company, you cannot force the marketing company to delete it. You can opt out of their mailing lists (most marketing emails have an unsubscribe link), but deletion is not may provide. Data brokers like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified collect public information and sell it. You can request removal from each site individually — most have removal forms on their websites — but new data brokers appear constantly.

Screenshots and shares are permanent. Once someone screenshots your post or shares it, you have lost control. Even if you delete the original, the screenshot exists. This is why private accounts and careful posting matter more than deletion.

Where deletion rights are stronger: GDPR and state privacy laws

If you live in the European Union, you have the right to request deletion under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Companies must delete your personal data if you request it, with some exceptions for legal obligations and legitimate business needs. To request deletion, contact the company's privacy team — most have a "Data Subject Rights" or "Privacy Request" form on their website.

In the United States, deletion rights are weaker and vary by state. California's CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) gives you the right to request deletion, but companies can refuse if they need the data for legal reasons. Other states (Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah) have similar laws with similar limits. If you live in one of these states, you can request deletion through the company's privacy settings or by contacting their privacy team.

If you do not live in the EU or a state with privacy laws, companies have no legal obligation to delete your data. Your only leverage is their privacy policy — if it says they will delete data on request, you can hold them to it. Most will not delete without legal pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my information from Google completely?

You can delete your Google account and request removal of specific URLs from Google Search, but you cannot delete information Google has already indexed. If a page exists on someone else's website, Google will re-index it. You can only control what you posted yourself.

What about information on the Wayback Machine?

Go to archive.org, search for your URL, and click the calendar icon. Find the snapshot you want removed, click the three dots, and select "Request Removal". It takes a few days. The Wayback Machine will honor removal requests, but other archive sites may not.

If I delete my Facebook account, does my information disappear?

Your profile and posts disappear from Facebook within 30 days, but Facebook keeps some data for legal and security reasons. Photos you posted may still exist if someone else saved them. Comments you made on other people's posts may remain visible.

How do I stop companies from collecting my data in the first place?

Use privacy settings on websites and apps, disable location tracking, clear cookies regularly, use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to hide your IP address, and consider a privacy-focused browser like Firefox or Brave. No method is perfect, but these reduce what gets collected.

Can I sue a website for not removing information about me?

In the US, probably not unless the information is false and damages your reputation (defamation). In the EU, you have stronger rights under GDPR. Consult a lawyer in your area if the information is serious — defamation cases are expensive and slow, but they exist.