How To Remove Your Data From The Internet In 2025 (Step-By-Step Guide For Expats & Travelers)

It is exciting to live in a new country or work and travel all the time. However, the excitement does include a secret danger to expats and travelers: your personal information is more vulnerable than you imagine. 

Each hotel Wi-Fi sign-in, official registration form, or online account abroad forms a chain of data that can be gathered, sold, and possibly misused. A single misplaced exposure may result in spam calls, identity theft, or strangers knowing the location of your residence.

The challenge is that deleting your data is not a one-time fix. It’s a process, and it needs to work across borders. Are you also wondering about personal information removal services? Online privacy and security

Worry not, we are going to explain what online privacy and security are, and the tips to remove negative content from Google search. 

So, let’s begin without any delay.

Understanding the Privacy Landscape in 2025: Overview Of Online Privacy And Security

Data doesn’t stay in one country. In 2025, your personal information travels across continents via data brokers, advertisers, and even platforms you trust.

For expats, this means you’re dealing with multiple legal systems, different privacy laws, and enforcement gaps. Some countries protect privacy strongly (like under GDPR), while others have almost no enforcement at all.

When you close your laptop in Paris or check your phone in Shanghai, your data isn’t staying in one country. It travels faster than your next flight. By 2025, the personal information crosses continents over data brokers, advertisers, and even the platforms you trust sometimes. This is particularly a challenge for expats to protect their privacy. 

You are not simply maneuvering between a single system of laws but rather between multiple legal regimes, each having its own data protection regime, enforcement voids, and attitudes towards privacy.

Why Privacy Or Personal Data Removal Matters More Than Ever

The idea that your personal information is yours might sound obvious, but the reality is different. 

Once it’s online, that control slips quickly:

• A rental listing in Bangkok might keep your passport details long after you’ve moved out.
  
• A doctor’s office in California could still have your address from years ago.
  
• A local SIM card provider in China may require real-name registration, tying your phone number to your identity permanently.
  

For someone who moves often, these pieces of data start stacking up like puzzle pieces. And in the wrong hands, they can paint a complete picture of your life. That’s why understanding today’s privacy risks is the first step — so you can build a removal strategy that works.

The Challenge of Data Brokers and Hidden Opt-Outs

If you’ve ever Googled your name and found dozens of sites showing your phone number, address, or old photos, you’ve already met the data broker industry. These companies collect personal details from public records, online accounts, and even social media. Then they package and sell that information to marketers, recruiters, and sometimes… anyone who pays.

For an expat, the problem gets worse: the use of personal data and to delete personal data becomes important. Imagine moving from France to China, then later to the U.S. — each place leaves new traces behind. Your old apartment listing in Paris. The conference registration is in Shanghai. A car rental in California. A data broker doesn’t care that you’ve moved on. If they can link it to your name or email, it stays in their system.

Even more frustrating, many of these brokers don’t make it easy to opt out. Some hide their removal forms behind layers of links. Others require you to send proof of ID by post, and when you’re on the road, that’s a hassle you don’t have time for.

This is why relying solely on laws isn’t enough. Yes, privacy regulations exist in many countries, but enforcement is slow. The real solution is a proactive removal plan that doesn’t depend on the goodwill of these companies. And that’s where we move to the first practical step.

Remove Personal Info: Step-By-Step Guide 

When it comes to clearly personal information to maintain privacy, the trick is to break the process down into small, doable steps. Trying to “clear your name from the internet” in one afternoon will only leave you frustrated. But tackling it step by step? That works even if you’re in a hotel room on the other side of the world.

Step 1: Review Your Digital Footprint

Before you plan personal data removal, you need to know what’s out there. Along with other pre-flight checklists, add this task as well to the list.  

1. Search your full name along with any nicknames or old usernames on Google, Bing, Baidu, or even DuckDuckGo to see what’s floating around.
2. Check variations with and without middle names, initials, or old email addresses.
3. Look beyond search engines. People-search sites like Spokeo or Whitepages often hold information you’ve forgotten about.
4. Note your findings. Keep a simple list of where your data appears and what kind of information is shown.
   

For expats, this step can be eye-opening. You might discover that a local magazine in one country still lists your name and phone from an interview years ago. Or that your old landlord’s “available apartment” page still shows your photo.

Once you have the full picture, it’s easier to decide where to act first. And that leads us to the next step, manual removals.

Step 2: Opt Out Manually (Data Brokers & People Search Sites)

Manual removal is not the fastest path, but it’s free and gives you control over what gets deleted first. Here’s how to make it manageable:

• Start with the biggest troublemakers – Look up your name and see which sites appear first. These are the ones leaking the most personal details.
  
• Dig for their opt-out link – Usually hidden in the privacy policy or tucked away in the site’s footer, it can take a little patience to find.
  
• Stick to their rules exactly – Some sites will ask for proof of identity, while others only need you to fill in a form. Following their process closely means fewer delays.
  

Pro tip for travelers: Keep a template removal email in your notes app. That way, you can fill in the site name and send a request in minutes, even from an airport lounge.

But let’s be honest — if you’re juggling time zones, work, and life abroad, doing this for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of brokers is exhausting. This is where technology can give you back your weekends.

Step 3: Use a Data Removal Service (Why Incogni Works Best for Travelers)

Instead of spending hours chasing down opt-out forms, you can hand the job to a service that does it for you. Incogni, for example, contacts data brokers on your behalf, sends removal requests, and monitors to make sure your data stays gone.

For expats, this matters because:

• You might not even know which brokers operate in the countries you’ve lived in.
  
• You don’t want to send personal documents through insecure channels.
  
• Time zones and language barriers can slow your manual efforts.
  

Incogni takes care of these details while you focus on your move, work, or travel plans. It’s built by the team behind Surfshark, so privacy is at its core.

If you want to skip the manual grind, you can start here with Incogni; the process is quick, and the ongoing monitoring is a lifesaver for people who move often.

Once you’ve cleared the bulk of your data, it’s time to secure your active accounts.

Step 4: Manage Social & Search Visibility

Now that we’ve removed your data from brokers, let’s pull in the reins on what’s still under your control—your social profiles and search presence.

Cleaning up brokers is one thing, but most of your digital footprint is still made up of the accounts and posts you’ve made yourself. Here’s how to shrink that too:

Tighten Your Privacy Settings

Privacy flows differently through all platforms: whether you are in France, China, or the U.S. When you are looking to have online privacy protection, you should begin with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WeChat, and Xiaohongshu accounts, which must have only those visible to whom you feel are trustworthy. To your friends only or as near as possible, delete your profile photo, what you post, and your bio.

Make your profile picture, posts, and bio only visible to your friends or those who like you.

• Set your profile photo, posts, and bio to “friends only” or equivalent.
  
• Turn off public searchability—especially on LinkedIn or global networks, where recruiters or strangers might still find you.
  
• Every time you travel or settle somewhere new, double-check settings again, because platforms occasionally “update” them back to default.
  

Control What Appears in Search

If you’ve published a blog, academic paper, or even a travel review under your full name, search engines will likely pull it up. Consider:

• Using pseudonyms for travel forums or blog guest posts.
  
• Adding a simple meta tag like to pages you’d rather keep private.
  
• In case your online profile incorporates a personal site, ensure that it is well equipped with firm privacy tools. Select a privacy-supportive host and secure it with a secure password manager.

Choose Safer Browsing Tools

Privacy isn’t just about controlling history or deleting personal data; it’s about avoiding unnecessary disclosure in the first place.

• Try DuckDuckGo or StartPage instead of Google. They don’t store your search history.
  
• Use privacy browsers like Brave, or add extensions like uBlock Origin to reduce tracking.
  
• If you’re dealing with extraordinary surveillance (say, in China), a reliable VPN is your best shield, and Incogni’s ecosystem ties into tools like that.
  

By tightening who sees what and reducing footprints proactively, you stay a step ahead of any new data exposure. And once you’ve secured your active presence, it’s time to lean on legal rights wherever you live. 

Step 5: Law-Backed Deletion Rights

Now that you’ve managed what you can control directly, let’s explore where the law can step in and lend a hand.

Many countries are moving toward stronger privacy protections, and it’s time to benefit from that—especially as expats.

U.S. – California’s Delete Act (SB-362)

In California, the Delete Act offers a simplified way to instruct registered data brokers to delete your info. Once fully implemented in August 2026, a single request can cover many brokers at once. If a broker refuses or fails to verify your identity, they must at least opt you out of selling or sharing your data. Wikipedia

Global View – GDPR & Emerging Laws

In Europe, the GDPR has reshaped expectations. Deletion requests are your right—and many companies comply promptly.WikipediaarXiv

In the U.S., momentum is building:

• Regulators are pushing to restrict brokers from selling Social Security numbers and labeling them as “consumer reporting agencies” under fair credit rules. The Verge
  
• Meanwhile, in Washington state, lawmakers are pushing for a federal Delete Act to simplify removal nationwide, inspired partly by recent tragedies involving easily accessible public data. The Washington Post
  

Wherever you are from, France, the U.S., China—knowing your legal tools gives you leverage. And even if enforcement is weak, having the right to request gives many of us the upper hand.

Step 6: Stay Proactive

You’ve taken control, tightened your presence, used legal tools—but here’s the kicker: privacy isn’t a one-off. Stopping now leaves you exposed again.)

Privacy is like tending a garden. You can clear the weeds, but if you don’t check back, they grow again. Here’s how to stay ahead:

• Schedule regular audits. Every few months, search your name and any aliases. If something pops up, act fast.
  
• Use tracking tools. Incogni keeps an eye on resurfaced data with recurring scans and removal requests.incogni.com
  
• Be watchful of shady relaunches. National Public Data recently came back online after a major breach exposed hundreds of millions of records. An opt-out form exists—but you’ll need to know it’s there. Tom’s Guide
  

This is how expats and frequent travelers stay protected—by treating privacy as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-and-done chore.

Global & China-Specific Insights for Expats

You’ve got the tools and habits down. Now it’s time to adjust your approach depending on whether you’re in China, France, or anywhere else in the world.

Living in or From China

• Real-name requirements are common: apps like Alipay or WeChat collect your legal identity. To stay private:
  
  • Use secondary, less revealing accounts for forums or discussions unrelated to banking or official services.
    
  • Avoid linking your real name to profiles when not necessary.
    
• Combine privacy browsing with data removal—especially since local platforms may not honor Western-style deletion requests.
  

Global Perspective

• Laws and platforms vary—but your steps stay the same: audit, remove, protect, repeat.
  
• Many VPN and privacy tools take cues from the GDPR world, regardless of your location—so tools like Incogni and Surfshark fit multiple use cases. Wikipedia
  
• No one-size-fits-all, but this process gives you ultimate personal control, wherever you base your digital life.
  

Quick Recap: Your Privacy Roadmap

1. Audit: Search and note where your data appears.
   
2. Remove manually: Pick key sites and submit removal requests.
   
3. Automate with Incogni: Let them handle hundreds of brokers and ongoing scans. support.incogni.comTechRadarincogni.com
   
4. Lock down social/search visibility: Tighten privacy settings, use safe search tools.
   
5. Use legal deletion rights: Leverage GDPR, California Delete Act, and other laws.
   
6. Monitor regularly: Set reminders to rescan and re-clear.
   
7. Apply local strategies: Whether in China or France, adapt to local platforms and requirements.
   

Final Thoughts

Someone living abroad or traveling frequently wears many hats, but one you shouldn’t have to wear is worrying about banks, authorities, or data brokers tracking your every move. Yet without action, that’s what happens.

That’s why building a simple, repeatable privacy routine is powerful. Scan your presence. Clean it up. Shield what’s active. Use the law. Stay vigilant. And when you want the heavy lifting done for you—especially when you’re juggling time zones, travel, and life—Incogni offers a solid, trusted assistant.

Ready to move on and stay secure? You can start with Incogni here and delete internet privacy demons. It begins with building privacy muscle and ends with the peace of knowing your data is truly yours.

Safe travels, smarter privacy to wherever your life takes you.