How to tell companies to ditch your data

Is there a way to reverse the outflow of personal data? To somehow vacuum up the countless bits of digital debris that companies have made vast sums of money collecting? According to the Washington Post, yes. Sort of. Geoffrey Fowler, who covers digital privacy issues for the Post, has written about a new app from Consumer Reports that, in his words, “makes it super simple to order companies to delete your personal information and secrets.” The app, Permission Slip, is free and works for Android and iPhone. It’s far from a cure-all, but it’s a start. And it might be a welcome sign of things to come.