Secure Your Digital Life:

 Delete Unused Online Accounts

Find stored logins

Many login credentials for online accounts are stored in web browsers, operating systems and password-manager apps, so you can start your hunt for zombies there. If you are on Chrome (the most popular web browser) on a desktop computer, click the three vertical dots in the upper right of the window, then navigate to Passwords and autofill > Google Pass[1]word Manager to see a list of the accounts the browser has stored. (While there, press “Check Pass[1]words” to learn if any have been involved in a data breach and/or been reused on multiple accounts.) In Apple’s Safari browser, click Safari > Settings > Pass[1]words in the upper left. You also should search your de[1]vice’s operating system for any account credentials that may be stored there. For Android phones, go to Settings > Search and search for “Password Manager.” For iPhones, go to Settings > Passwords. On Apple’s Mac computers, search for “Keychain Ac[1]cess” then press “Open Pass[1]words.” Microsoft Windows doesn’t have a built-in password manager. Finally, some people use pass[1]word-manager apps such as 1Password, Bitwarden or Dashlane to store logins, so be sure to look there for a list of accounts, if applicable. Some of your accounts may have fallen prey to breaches already. You may be able to identify them using the Chrome “Check Passwords” tool mentioned above, or with monitoring services such as the free “have i been pwned?” site, or with the paid Dark Web Monitoring tool in Dashlane. This lets you focus on closing or updating logins for breached sites, and for other sites that use the same logins.

 

Check apps

You might unearth more for[1]gotten accounts by checking for apps or services you have linked to other networks. For example, you might rediscover an Expedia account when you see you authorized it to share information with Google; or perhaps you authorized Pinterest and Twitch to do the same with Facebook. To check for linked apps or services in Google, for instance, log in, click your user icon in the upper right, then click Manage Your Google Account > Security, and scroll to “Your connections to third-party apps & services.” In Facebook, click your profile picture in the top right, click Settings & privacy > Settings, then scroll way down on the left-side menu and click “Apps and websites.” It’s also a good idea to check mobile apps for accounts associated with them. On Android phones, go to the Play app home screen, tap your avatar at the top right, then tap Payments & Subscriptions > Subscriptions to see both current and expired ones. With iPhones, go to Settings, click your name up top, and click Subscriptions. You may also check apps on devices such as smart TVs and smart speakers. Finally, check your email for messages from services you have signed up for, such as welcome messages, instructions to verify your email address or alerts about privacy-policy changes. Some terms you might search for include: “welcome,” “free trial,” “un[1]subscribe,” “changes to,” “privacy policy,” “log in,” “login,” “update,” “your account,” “sign in,” “sign-in,” and “verify.”

 

Delete accounts

Once you have your list of zombies, it’s time to delete them. In some cases, deactivating an account also sets in motion the process of deleting your data. In other cases, it doesn’t, and you must specifically select the delete option to remove your information from the site. It’s also important to remember that disconnecting a service from your Facebook account or deleting an app from your phone doesn’t delete the account. That has to be done separately, either in the app or on the company website. The process of deleting accounts got a lot easier in 2022 when Consumer Reports released Permission Slip, a free iOS and Android app that points you to the “delete account” webpage for almost 350 sites. For about half, Permission Slip can automatically send the requests on your behalf. According to Fahs, Consumer Reports plans to significantly increase the total number of sites included in the app, as well as those with automatic deletion, by the end of the year. You have to create an account to use Permission Slip, and while Consumer Reports says that it doesn’t use personal data for targeted advertising, it reserves the right to use some usage information for its own marketing of products and services or to track the effectiveness of ads. One option is to delete your Permission Slip account after you get confirmation that all your zombie accounts have been deleted. For sites not included in the Permission Slip app, try searching the company’s privacy policy for instructions on how to close or delete an account. Some companies also link to this information from the bottom of their home page. If all that fails, try a web search for the company name and terms such as “close account” or “delete account.” Deletion of your data may take days or weeks, and some companies may ignore requests. (Consumer Reports in some cases is filing complaints with state attorney’s general to enforce laws that require companies to honour these requests.) If a zombie site has information that you value, such as photos or messages, you may be able to download it before you delete the account. Google and Facebook, for instance, both offer the ability to do comprehensive down[1]loads of all your data, such as emails, calendars, messages, posts, photos and videos. Just make sure you have your data in hand before you begin the deletion process. Some zombie sites may still hold your valuable memories, even if your memory of the site itself has faded.