Do you ever get the fear of what comes up when someone googles you? Maybe you’re trying to build a following, develop a new client relationship or are looking for investors for your business idea.

Though I may be one of the most boring people the internet has ever seen, I don’t like the idea of following my digital footprint too far. Despite the worst *hopefully* being embarrassing club pics from 2013, I know my email and details likely pop up across websites and subscription services I’ve long forgotten.

Beyond the cringe, such ‘litter’ online can also carry risks to your security. For example, an old leaked email address or your address you didn’t realise would be discoverable online when you registered that business years ago can be used to exploit you.

One solution often suggested is data deletion services. These companies offer paid services to remove your personal information from the internet. But is it worth the investment? And is it even possible? Let's explore.

The Potential Pros of Data Deletion Services

Such services sell themselves as able to offer the following perks.

Time-saving: These services do the very tedious work of contacting multiple data brokers and websites on your behalf. Data brokers are companies that collect, process and sell personal data.
Expertise: Such services know where to look and how to navigate complex data removal processes, which, let’s be honest, few of us do.
Continuous monitoring: Many services offer ongoing surveillance to catch when your information reappears.
Legal compliance: Services ensure requests are properly formatted and follow relevant privacy laws.

The Downside of Data Deletion Services

However, before signing up to live your most mysterious life, it’s important you consider the following:

Cost: These services can be expensive, especially those with recurring subscription fees.
No guarantees: Complete data removal is nearly impossible due to constant data collection and sharing.
DIY alternative: You can request data deletion yourself for free, though it requires time and effort.
Reappearing data: Information can resurface as new databases are created or updated.
It can be counterproductive: There is also the risk you disseminate more information about yourself in the process. In order to remove your info, such services need to share your information with the data brokers. Furthermore, this may be without reward as some brokers, especially outside the EU and US, can refuse or ignore the requests where addressing it is not a legal requirement

Still tempted? Here’s what to look for:

There are plenty out there, but some are more effective than others. Here’s a criteria you may wish to consider:

A widespread reach into data brokers - and the inclusion of ‘people finder’ type site
Continuous monitoring - it’s easy for data to reappear once ‘deleted’ which is
Good genuine reviews - there are plenty of convincing bots on review sites but try and dig deep to look at the good and bad reviews to assess which has the best reputation
Customer support - there’s nothing more frustrating than not getting the service you paid for and having nowhere to turn for help. Look out for those with 24/7 support and assess how effective it actually is when scanning reviews

This article from security.org compares some of the biggies.

Alternative Approaches

If you’re not convinced, there are other options:

Manual removal: I won’t lie, it’s long and at times frustrating (and fruitless) but you do have the option to contact data brokers directly using opt-out forms and email requests.
Prevention: As always, prevention is better than cure. Use privacy strategies such as ‘hide my email’ and be mindful about what information you share online and with whom.
Regular monitoring: Set up Google alerts for your name, social media handles and business name to stay up to date one what’s emerging about you online.

Whether to pay for data deletion services depends on your specific circumstances. If you value your time more than money and want a hands-off approach, these services might be worth it. However, remember there are no guarantees, and that it’s safe to assume, that for the majority of us, there’s now way of wiping ourselves from the internet entirely. The ‘like’ you gave to that embarrassing band in 2008 is still out there, somewhere, and it’s probably here to stay.