Here is a step-by-step guide to reducing your digital footprint online, whether you want to lock down data or vanish entirely.

There’s the idea that once something is online, it is immortal, immutable, and almost impossible to contain. The golden rule is simple – you should not put anything online you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see, although, sometimes you aren’t in control of what gets published.

Abuse, stalking, and bullying may also factor as reasons to erase our digital footprints and seize control of our devices. If you want to take control of your privacy and online data, these are the steps to start with.