What If You Knew What They Knew?—Part Two of a Two-Part Series on Data Privacy

By Jon Cohen:

How to Take Back Control of Your Digital Life

In the first part of this series, we looked at how much of your personal information is being collected, shared, and sold, often without your full awareness. We examined how data brokers, advertisers, and even apps profit from your digital activity, creating detailed profiles that influence what you see online. Now, in Part Two, we’ll shift from the problem to the solution.

What can you actually do to take back control?

Know What’s Already Out There

The first task is to figure out what personal information is already available online; this is your digital audit. Start by searching your name, address, and phone number on standard search engines. You might be surprised by what data public records can reveal. Next, check for online breaches: you can use services such as HaveIBeenPwned.com that will instantly show whether your email or passwords have been part of any major data breaches. You can also use tools like Mozilla Monitor that can give you a snapshot of what’s been exposed already.

Finally, review your credit. Check with credit reporting agencies for suspicious activity tied to your identity. In the U.S., you're legally allowed to request one free credit report each year from each of the three major bureaus. Though until the end of 2026, you can currently request them free weekly. Residents of Europe, thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), have strong "Right of Access" rules that give them even more control over their own data. In Canada, you can request this information by mail.

Just knowing what’s out there is a powerful start, and once you see how much is visible, you’ll better understand why protecting your information matters.

Reduce Your Digital Footprint

After assessing the damage, it’s time to remove what can be removed. The goal is to make yourself harder to find. Data brokers collect and sell your information to marketers. While you can pay services such as DeleteMe or Privacy Bee to automatically submit opt-out requests for you, you can also do this manually. Data broker websites have an opt-out form, but it is usually hard to find on the sites. Submitting these requests takes time and effort, but it's a direct way to reduce the amount of data that is being stored by them.

It's also critical to clear out old accounts. Remove personal information from old social media accounts, forums, or online services you no longer use. If you can’t delete the account completely, at least clear out identifying personal details and change the password to something unique.

Take Control of What You Share

Every time you get a discount code by signing up for a website or joining a loyalty program for a store or service, you’re making a trade. So treat it as a transaction and think twice before you hand over your email address, phone number, or personal details. Loyalty programs often collect much more personal data than the discount is worth. You can always ask what information they gather and how they plan on using it before you sign up.

When signing up for new services, consider using an email masking tool such as DuckDuckGo Email Protection to protect your personal information. You can create a free “@duck.com” email address that hides your real one and strips out hidden trackers before forwarding the message to your regular email address. This way, it keeps your real address private and your data out of marketers’ hands. Remember, your online activity holds value; every like, share, and comment is like digital currency. This data is used to create a shadow profile of you. That profile then helps companies market to you. By providing this data, you’re not just a store's customer; you are also the product being sold.

Lock Down Your Devices and Habits

Maintaining good digital habits can help prevent future data leaks. A strong password is important. Use unique passwords for every account or site. A password manager can be used to manage them all easily. Be sure to turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) when available. This is especially important for services such as email login, bank accounts, and cloud storage. Keep software updated, as those patches that many of us may ignore often fix critical security vulnerabilities. 

Be smart with Wi-Fi: If you're using public Wi-Fi, consider pairing it with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. This will encrypt and secure your data. Do note that free VPN services may also track and sell your data. Therefore, ensure that you research the VPN service you use. Some popular but not free options that do a good job of protecting your privacy are ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Lastly, you can use privacy-focused browsers such as Firefox or Brave, which limit trackers, block ads, and prevent your browsing data from being sold to advertisers. Apple users with a paid iCloud+ subscription can also take advantage of iCloud Private Relay in Safari.

While the above habits can help limit the amount of data shared, we sometimes inadvertently share bits of data without even realizing it. That’s why even a small change in your behavior can make a significant difference.

So before you click "Accept" or "Download" on an app, ask yourself: Do I really need to download this? Do I understand what permissions it’s asking for?

And it is okay to question whether this service actually needs your location or if that setting is optional. The more you pause and consider these questions, the more control you keep.

A Future Where You Have a Say

Privacy doesn’t have to be all or nothing; it’s about balance. There will always be trade-offs, such as needing to provide your location data to get directions using Google Maps or sharing your email address to receive sales receipts from your grocery store or department store. The real key is understanding what you are giving up and if it's truly worth the convenience, discount, or promotion the company is offering you. 

New tools are being developed to give people better control over their data, and governments are gradually introducing new legislation to strengthen privacy laws; however, this process is slow. One day in the future, users may be able to get compensation for this data, but we are not there yet. At the end of the day, you hold the real power. By making informed decisions, you can limit the amount of data you share. Remember, your data is valuable. You should be the one to decide what’s done with it.

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Jon Cohen

Jon Cohen’s contributions can be found on radio, TV, and print media. Jon makes “geek speak” understandable for the masses and has been a voice in the tech community for over 20 years. A former “Geek Squad” member as well as an “Apple Genius,” he offers a fresh perspective on technology, photography, and social media. Twitter: @cohenHD