Creating Accounts is Easy, Deleting Them Can Be Very Difficult

TASK: Try to resist, where possible, the urge to create new accounts. Most services make extra money money by selling your data to other companies like data brokers. These companies aggregate the information and sell it on again. Many companies make it very easy to create accounts, but when you try and delete them it can be very difficult. Many companies and websites do not even have a delete option, you need to spend ages going through customer services and other laborious processes.

If you do need to create a new account, use a burner email address system like SimpleLogin or AnonAddy, a false name, false phone number or one you can change and a made up postal address. If it is a legal or government website you probably have to put your correct details for legal purposes. Use a password manager, as described here. By taking this precaution it does not matter as much if companies sell your data on as it is false data.

WHY: Companies get bought and sold, as does your data. Try to obfuscate the contents, only create accounts when you need to and use psudonyms to protect yourself.