Digital Footprint Reduction#

Decreasing one’s social media footprint and making accounts private can protect against identity theft, cyberstalking, and other malicious activities that can put personal information at risk. By implementing the recommendations outlined in this document, officials can mitigate risks, protect their personal information, and secure the privacy of themselves, their family members, their staff, and their organizations.

From understanding the importance of separating personal and office social media accounts to removing personal information from the public web and using privacy settings effectively, the following guidelines will empower elections officials to navigate the digital landscape securely and confidently.

In addition to the actions elsewhere in this document, consider reducing your social media footprint through each of the following actions.

Digital Footprint Reduction

Delete Social Media Accounts#

Unless you’re actively using a social media account and feel it benefits you, delete it. This is the most effective way to reduce your social media footprint and minimize your exposure to potential security risks. Accounts no longer in use leave data out there and each open account increases the risk of being part of a data breach.

Most platforms will allow you to export your data; make sure to back up any important data before proceeding. Also, some platforms may take a few days to weeks to completely remove your data, though they will typically immediately make it publicly unavailable.

Delete your account: Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn

Limit Personal Information Online#

Avoid posting sensitive information such as your home address, phone number, email address, and information about your family and their locations. Removing personal information from the public web can help prevent identity theft, cyberstalking, and other forms of online harassment. Here are some steps to remove personal information from the public web:

  • Query and Monitor Yourself: Search for your name and see what information is available about you. The more common your name is, the more information you may have to include in the initial query to find information specific to yourself. Try different combinations such as with and without your middle name, your profession, or including cities or places of business with which you may be associated. Use multiple search engines such as Google and Bing, as they may return different results. After the initial pass, set up Google (or other) alerts for your name and other personal information to monitor when it appears online to monitor for information about you continually.

  • Opt-Out of Data Brokers and People Finders: Data brokers collect personal information from a variety of sources and sell it to third parties. Popular data brokers include Spokeo, Intelius, and BeenVerified. These services are required to provide a way for people to opt-out, though opting out of one data broker does not remove your information from all. Generally, just go to the site, search for your information, and follow the instructions to remove it. Alternatively, many third-party services, like DeleteMe, will continually scan sites and request removal of your personal information.

Removing Information from Real Estate Websites#

Major real estate and rental websites post photos and information about addresses. Some allow you to request removal of your information. The removal process may take some time.

These sites often get their information from public records, so removing your information from these sites does not remove your information from public records. Even after removal, some details may remain in search engine caches and will disappear over time as those caches are updated.

Remove real estate data: Zillow | Realtor.com | Redfin | Apartments.com | Trulia

Blur Your Home Address on Google and Apple Maps#

Here are the steps to blur your home address on Google Maps:

  1. Open the Google Maps desktop app and make sure you’re logged into your Google account.

  2. Type your home address into the search field.

  3. To see Street View’s image of your home, select and hold your mouse pointer on the small yellow human icon at the lower right corner of the map.

  4. Drag this icon onto the road in front of your home.

  5. Once you’re in Street View, use the arrow keys to rotate the view so you can see your home right in front of you.

  6. Once you have your house in view, select “Report a problem” at the lower right corner of the screen.

  7. You will see the image from Street View with a small red box at the center. You can rotate the image or zoom in and out to center the box on just your home or entire property.

  8. Fill out the form by selecting “My home” in the “Request blurring” section.

Please note that once you complete this process, it can’t be undone. Your home will be permanently blurred in Google Street View.

On Apple Maps, you can request to have a face, license plate, or house censored by emailing [MapsImageCollection@apple.com].