Why Delete Your Data? Here’s 6 Reasons Why and How

Have you ever experienced the embarrassment of Facebook suddenly showing you a memory from 2013? You were wearing neon shutter shades. And the quote? It says YOLO. Yeah… That’s just one reason why some data should be deleted.

Data deletion is important because it helps protect you from greedy companies, creepy data brokers, hackers, scammers, inferred data, and stale data.

It’s just not the bad selfies from that past you should delete. There’s a lot of your digital footprint, lurking out there, that needs to go.

With all the concerns about data privacy, not many people are deleting their data.

One reason for this is that not many people are provided with the opportunity or information on data deletion. According to Aaron Mendes (CEO of PrivacyHawk), of all the 2025 articles about cybersecurity and data breaches he reviewed, NONE of them mentioned how to prevent being exposed and the right to delete.

Another reason is that data deletion is not as trending as any other topic on social media. Many people prefer watching a trending dance on TikTok, or sharing pictures about their favorite celebrities on Instagram… More than consuming content about data privacy.

It’s only when someone has been hacked or scammed that they start sounding the alarm.

That silence is what Big Tech wants. They want you to forget that your data is getting collected, sold, and stolen every day.

To understand the importance of deleting your data, let’s talk about what happened to 23andMe.

23andMe is a company that specializes in genomics and biotechnology. They offer DNA testing kits and data such as:

• Ancestry Information: Your ethnicity or geographic origins.
• Unique Traits: Your earwax type, lactose intolerance, and more.
• Health Insights: Your carrier status and genetic risks to diseases.
• Family Connections: Any DNA relatives.

Plus, 23andMe partners with pharmacies and researchers, using your genetic data for scientific studies and to develop drugs.

Now, here’s the problem: 23andMe is now filing for bankruptcy, which puts its customer data at risk of being sold and misused. With this, experts are now urging customers to delete their data. In fact, already 15% of customers have requested to delete their genetic data from 23nandMe’s servers since the company filed for bankruptcy.

According to Craig Konnoth (a law professor from the University of Virginia), the fate of your data depends on the company's contracts. So, when 23andMe gets sold, there’s no guarantee that new owners will honor old privacy agreements, leaving customers without a legal recourse.

What’s worse, 23andMe has a troubling history of data misuse. In 2023, the company suffered from a major data breach that exposed personal and genetic information from nearly 7 million users (mostly of ethnic groups including Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese individuals). The compromised Information included:

• Names
• Photos
• Family details
• DNA data

After the breach, 23andMe changed its policies so that customers can’t join class action lawsuits. This made many customers lose trust in the company, which prompted 23andMe to file for bankruptcy.

This case highlights just how important it is to protect your data.

Now, here are six reasons why you should regularly delete your data.

• Reason No. 1: Companies Aren’t Always Trustworthy: Just like what happened with 23andMe, any company can get breached. Plus, not every company uses your company for good. Just because Company A says “We respect your privacy” doesn't mean they don’t sell or misuse your data.
  
• Reason No. 2: Data Brokers Are Creepy: LexisNexis, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. These are just some of the many data brokers whose only job is to collect, package, and sell your information. You should delete your data because these companies know and sell your dating preferences, shopping habits, and even your political views (often without you knowing).
  
• Reason No. 3: Hackers Love You (Too Much): The more data you have online, the more of a hot target you are for hackers. They’ll get your data and sell it on the dark web. So, delete as much data as you can.
  
• Reason No. 4: Scammers Thrive on Your Oversharing: After your data gets on the dark web, scammers can use it against you. For example, with your phone number, scammers can call or text you for schemes like government impersonation scams and Wangiri fraud.
  
• Reason No. 5: Inferred Data is a Thing: With your information, companies can guess things about you, which is not good because it can affect important things like your insurance, healthcare, buying decisions, and job applications. For example, if a company infers from your DNA that you’re at risk of developing a certain illness, your insurance premiums could skyrocket, and employers might avoid hiring you.
  
• Reason No. 6: Stale Data: Companies also store outdated information (e.g., search history in the past, old contact information, outdated health records, etc.). They don’t just disappear. Companies still use them to make business decisions. This puts your outdated information at risk of being stolen or misused. For example, if a company has information on the medication, you stopped taking years ago, the company could share it with doctors, leading to incorrect treatment decisions.

There are 4 ways to protect your data from data brokers, hackers, and scammers:

• Method No. 1: Close Old Accounts: Do you still have a MySpace or any account you’re not using anymore? Shut them all down. Your old data shouldn’t be misused by greedy companies and cyber criminals.
  
• Method No. 2: Start a Data Broker Purge: You can opt out of data brokers and people search sites. You can do this manually by visiting each website and following their opt-out procedures. If you want to do it faster and more effectively, you can consider using a data removal service just like ours.
  
• Method No. 3: Clear Browsing Data: Regularly wipe your browser history, cache, and cookies. This will speed things up but also remove tracking crumbs and protect your information.
  
• Method No. 4: Opt Out of Ads (Seriously): You can opt out of many ad networks. It won’t stop them from storing your data, but it can put your data on suppression lists and it’ll make the ads less personal.

Remember that deleting your data isn’t about hiding something. It’s about protecting your privacy from greedy companies and cyber criminals.

So, start hitting delete!

Is it good to delete your browsing history?

Yes, you should delete your browsing data regularly. It will help you protect your privacy and significantly improve the performance of your browser.

Does clearing browser history delete your passwords?

No, clearing your browser history, cookies, or cached files won’t delete your passwords. It will only delete the websites you visited and log you out of websites. That means you can still use your passwords to log in to your accounts.