Australian Experts Urge Digital Spring Cleans to Combat AI Data Scraping

Academic experts from Bond University and the University of Melbourne are calling for individuals to conduct digital spring cleans to mitigate environmental damage, improve mental health, and secure personal data. Research shows the average person generates 229kg of carbon emissions through online activity, with AI tools requiring significantly more energy than traditional computing.

Andrew Cullen, a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne, warns that forgotten data such as old emails containing ID scans or dormant social media accounts are highly valuable to AI companies scraping information for commercial use. He notes that while users may no longer value this data, it remains a prime target for those seeking to learn about individuals.

From a productivity standpoint, Libby Sadler of Bond University highlights that digital clutter creates cognitive friction. This is supported by an International Data Corporation study finding that information workers waste more than two hours per week searching for lost files. Experts recommend deleting unused apps, unsubscribing from emails, and consolidating cloud storage to reduce stress and improve efficiency. The scale of the issue is reflected in the massive holdings of services like Google Photos, which stores over 9 trillion photos, and Dropbox, which earned US $2.5bn from 18 million customers in 2025.