How to remove personal information from the Internet 如何从因特网上删除个人信息

重庆市綦江实验中学 冯 弋

It's a process to remove your personal information from the Internet,so be patient and don't expect to complete it in one day.Take a systematic approach,tackling one technique every week or so.

Make a list of the social media accounts you keep.Visit each website,find the account settings,and look for the option to remove the account.Depending on how much information you want to keep private,you can also delete your online banking and credit card accounts,and even your email accounts.

Personal blogs may contain private details about your daily life,family,jobs,health information and financial situation—which is information a fraudster(犯欺诈罪者)could use to scam you or access your accounts.If you publish a blog,be mindful of the details you're sharing.If someone else has posted sensitive information about you on their website or blog,then you can contact the webmasters of the site and ask them to remove the information.

Many mobile apps on your smartphone and tablet collect personal details such as your name,email address,spending habits,and geographical location.This information could be accessed by cybercriminals,leaked or stolen,and if it ends up in the hands of a scammer,your finances could be at risk.Keep in mind that uninstalling(卸载)an app from your device doesn't necessarily mean your personal information is deleted by the app developer.Again,check the privacy and account settings to determine how to fully delete your account.

There's some personal information stored on your browser history,including the websites you visit(including financialinstitutions),passwords,and cached images and files.If a cybercriminal gains access to your device,they may be able to use that information,but it's easy enough to clean much of it out.Regularly clear your browser history,delete cookies and install and use security software that includes online privacy features.

Although the process will take some time and effort,the peace of mind of increased privacy will be worthwhile.

Reading Check

1.What do you know about removing personal information from the Internet?

A．It is mainly related to your blog.

B．It takes some time and effort.

C．It should be done in one day.

D．It calls for higher intelligence.

2.What should you do if someone posts your secret information on the web?

A.Ask persons in charge of the web to remove it.

B.Contact the webmasters of the site to update it.

C.Warn the person of the potential dangers.

D.Urge the person who shares it to remove it.

3.After uninstalling an app from your mobile,you'd better______ _.

A.update your safety software as soon as possible

B.ask the app developer for a guarantee of quality

C.make sure you delete your account completely

D.change the privacy and account settings immediately

Language Study

Difficult sentence

This information could be accessed by cybercriminals,leaked or stolen,and if it ends up in the hands of a scammer,your finances could be at risk.

【翻译】___________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】本句是一个并列复合句。and连接两个并列句，在第二个句子中，if引导条件状语从句，end up是动词短语，意为“最终;结果;到头来”；at risk是介词短语，意为“处于危险中”。