Purging Long-Forgotten Online Accounts: Worth The Trouble?

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But is it even possible to delete your zombie online footprints — or worth your time to do so?

Earlier this month, a little-used social network notified its few users that it will soon shut down. No, not Google Plus; that came five days later, following the disclosure of a bug that exposed data on a half-million people.

The earlier shutdown involved Path, created by a former Facebook employee in 2010 as an alternative to Facebook. Then there’s Ello sending you monthly emails to remind you that this plucky but little-known social network still exists somehow.

It might not seem like a big deal to have these accounts linger. But with hacking in the news constantly, including a breach affecting nearly 30 million Facebook accounts, you might not want all that data sitting around.

You might not have a choice if it’s a service you use regularly. But for those you no longer use, consider a purge. Plus, it might feel good to get your online life in order, the way organizing a closet does.

Take dating apps such as Tinder, long after you found a steady partner or gave up on finding one. You might have deleted Tinder from your phone, but the ghost of your Tinder account is still out there — just not getting any matches, as Tinder shows only “active” users to potential mates.