- This week, we're gonna show you how to disappear
from the digital world to become a specter online,
(record scratches) or at least keep you
from ever having to explain your search history
to your mama. (upbeat music)
Then let's get started with this first question.
"I barely use Facebook anymore,
should I just delete it?"
If you're not using that old account
and you have no plans to start using it again,
then it might be time to hit that old delete button.
(button clicks) Adios!
Keeping an inactive account just adds
to an ever-increasing pile of digital clutter
and opens you up to targeted advertisements
based on your old profiles.
But hitting that delete button ain't always easy.
First thing you gotta do
is log into that dusty, old Facebook account.
And if you don't remember the password,
that sucks for you.
(Chenae exhales sharply)
(keyboard clacking)
Shoot! (upbeat music)
(chuckles) Once you're in, follow along close with me
because it's about to get real confusing up in here.
First, hit the Menu button on the bottom right,
just under your cute little face.
Then do a big, big old scroll to Settings,
and under the Account block,
tap Personal and account information.
Then Account ownership and control.
Now, hit Deactivation and deletion.
Select Delete account,
not deactivate, which by the way,
doesn't do jack diddly squat,
except let's Facebook hold onto your precious data.
Keep hitting Continue, until poof!
She's gone.
But what about your profile?
Are all those cringey high school pics still floating around
out there somewhere like a tornado of embarrassment.
Good news, they're gone,
along with all other photos, posts,
and anything else you uploaded
or posted on your profile.
So we threw out the dinosaur
that's been tracking us for decades.
But how about a new platform like TikTok?
Maybe you were pressured into making an account by an ex
or you just wanted to watch one of those puppy videos
and didn't realize how much TikTok
would be tracking your online activity.
TikTok is known for having
a pretty aggressive data harvesting strategy.
Creepy. So yeah, it's totally fine to want off this boat.
And it's actually easier
than some of the other services out there.
First, go to your profile on the bottom right
and look for that little hamburger icon on the top right.
Tap that burger.
And under the Account settings,
hit Deactivate or delete.
Those are just a couple of heavy hitters,
but you might have a bunch of old accounts
you might wanna get rid of.
Maybe there are some weirder ones out there
you wanna get off.
I've gotta get rid of my Friendster,
my Dogster, my MySpace, and my LiveJournal, next!
"What else can I do to protect my privacy
if I don't wanna delete any accounts?"
When it comes to your overall online privacy,
your choice of web browser can make all the difference.
Just think of all the creepy third-party trackers
lurking on the web,
waiting to collect your data
like a bunch of digital vampires.
Those digital blood suckers have one main way
of tracking your online activity.
Cookies! (cookie crunches)
Stock browsers like Edge and Chrome
don't offer the best protection
against third-party cookies.
Firefox, on the other hand,
is the most private and secure major browser available
and the only one with total cookie protection by default,
which keeps cookies contained and secure
so companies can't track you between websites.
Plus, it's easier than ever
to migrate off your old, stinky browser
to a shiny, new Firefox installation.
Step one, which should also be the first step
you follow every time you buy a new computer,
download and install Firefox.
The first time you open Firefox,
it should ask you if you wanna import settings
and data from Safari or Chrome.
Just like that.
It'll even do your stored passwords.
That's it. Super painless, right?
But what if you wanna go deeper?
Yes, Firefox has a feature for that.
Take a look at private browsing on Firefox desktop.
It's a lot like incognito mode in Chrome,
except it's wicked fast
and built on the same security backbone
that powers your regular Firefox browser tabs.
And for privacy in your pocket,
there's a whole new app.
Firefox Focus brings all the punch
of a Firefox private browsing tab onto your smartphone.
Stop letting these trackers follow you around online
and get your buns on over to the Firefox side of things.
I promise, we only block the bad kind of cookies.
So you've gone dark on socials
and you're harder to track online than ever using Firefox.
But, "What about sharing my email or phone number online?
How can I keep those from leaking?"
Sometimes, entering your contact info online
is totally unavoidable.
Maybe there's a 25% discount if you cough up that email.
And yeah, at the time, it was totally worth it
for a novelty shower head that looks like a duck
from a sketchy Instagram store.
But two weeks later, my spam box is jam packed
with all sorts of novelty bathroom accessories.
Well, if you learn your lesson like me,
let's avoid those sketchy shopping spam traps
using Firefox Relay.
This badass service will create a burner email address
for you called an email mask
that you can use instead of your real email address.
Oh, and just when you thought it wasn't cool enough,
Firefox Relay does phone numbers too.
You can create a burner number just like the email service,
and both calls and text sent to the burner
will forward to your number.
Plus, if you're just waiting
for that two-factor code to come in,
you can enable or disable the number whenever you want.
Aw, shuck a ducky quack quack.
That's all for this week's Ask Firefox.
We know everything there is to know
about all things Internet (bell chimes)
so drop your questions in the comments.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram @Firefox.
See you next time.
(upbeat music)
- [Crew Member] Sorry.
(Crew Member laughs)
Boom!
- Mm, sweet taste of online privacy.