# Keep public profiles thin

Practice ID: 44
Topic: `ownership` (ownership: Ways to keep data, tools, media, and future choices under personal control.)
Added: 2026-09-23
Journey entry point: `optimize` (Make the tools you kept more durable, private, and possible to leave.)
Start with: `habit` (habit)
Supports: `ownership-and-open-exits` (ownership and open exits; group: `digital-control` / My data and digital setup), `deliberate-technology-use` (deliberate technology use; group: `daily-life` / My attention and daily life)

## Pattern

A profile that holds a whole life becomes a reason to stay with the platform that hosts it.

## Practice

Publish only what a named purpose needs. Keep photos, relationships, and the daily record in places you control.

## Start small

Open one profile and remove or archive one category of life that does not serve its named purpose.

## Watch out

Work, a community, or a public role can justify a visible record. Keep that record inside the named purpose, and review it when the purpose changes.

## Builds on

- [Use personal social media only with a clear purpose](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/use-personal-social-media-only-with-purpose.md)

## Related practices

- [Own your photo library](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/own-your-photo-library.md)
- [Use social media on open protocols](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/use-social-media-on-open-protocols.md)

## Concepts

- [minimal retention](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts/minimal-retention.md): Data and digital residue are kept only while they continue to serve a deliberate purpose.
- [ownership and open exits](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts/ownership-and-open-exits.md): A tool remains acceptable while data, access, and future choices can be retained or moved.

## Positions

See how these practices fit together: [Keep social on purpose](https://live.freewithtech.com/by/keeping-social-on-purpose.md).

## Continue

- [Browse ownership as practices.](https://live.freewithtech.com/?topic=ownership)
- [Journey](https://live.freewithtech.com/journey.md)
- [Concepts](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts.md)
- [Complete agent-readable database](https://live.freewithtech.com/llms.txt)