How to close user accounts for websites that you no longer use?

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Since the 1990's I've been creating account logins for websites that I have not visited in years but probably still have my ID and password in their database.
Is there a way to close these accounts if I'm even able to find them? A year or so back Google found my ID /password on the dark web and at the time I changed all my passwords but I'm still nervous and I'm starting to get really paranoid about all the data hacks that have been announced recently. I've actually stated writing passwords down instead of letting Google or Microsoft save them which is a real pain in the a**.
Has anyone else tried to completely wipe their info from the web and if so how?

 

[Souschef]

One thing you might do is use the "forgot your password" and change it to some really strange one with lots of upper case lower case and symbols

 

[Out of Steam]

There are also those sites that try to convince you that you opened a user account when you didn't. I requested notifications on a friend's flight from Flightaware and received a notice a couple of days later with the subject "Flightaware Account Recovery".

I had never established such an account. Rather, it was a solicitation to open one.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

One thing you might do is use the "forgot your password" and change it to some really strange one with lots of upper case lower case and symbols

I've actually done that with some creating a garbage password, but I really want them gone completely. I read somewhere that the websites claim that they cant delete you because they are obligated legally to retain data which sounds like BS but maybe it's true. I've been reading about it online and I'm currently checking all my bookmarks, that's a good place to start, if it's bookmarked I probably have an account setup.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

There are also those sites that try to convince you that you opened a user account when you didn't. I requested notifications on a friend's flight from Flightaware and received a notice a couple of days later with the subject "Flightaware Account Recovery".

I had never established such an account. Rather, it was a solicitation to open one.

Darn it, I think I have an account with them as well but not really sure so I'll enter my email and see if I get a password reset link.

 

[braumeister]

What you're seeing is the fact that removing old online accounts is essentially impossible. Your account here, for example, can't be removed. Most websites are like this.

The issue is that, as the saying goes, "the internet is forever."

The Internet Archive, aka the Wayback Machine, continuously records whatever it finds, so even if a site were to delete your account (unlikely), many of your old posts would still be searchable in the future even after the site has ceased to exist. So there is no point in any site administrator trying to erase your presence.

Bottom line: Be aware of what you post online because you usually won't be able to take it back.

 

[Sunset]

Use random usernames and random long passwords for each site and you don't have to care.
It also helps to use a special email for each site, but that is just icing on the cake.

Why would I care if Myspace.com has my username: askd49r782 and pwd: kda;'$E#Dieiewlw4eww

I think most important would be to delete personal information (address, picture, financial info).

 

[ERD50]

One thing you might do is use the "forgot your password" and change it to some really strange one with lots of upper case lower case and symbols

I've got an (unimportant) account that I opened with my old ISP's email. So now, I can't even do the "forgot my password" thing, as my access to that email is long gone.

Not worried about it though, I don't think they have any info about me other than my old email address, and the fact that my DD is/was a Dave Mathews Band fan.

-ERD50