What is a Digital Footprint?

A Digital Footprint is the specific, data that a person leaves behind as she uses the internet and digital devices. This data can encode anything from websites to email, social network purchases online, and even five times and dates for internet use. In this article, we will cover types of digital footprints, why they matter, and how to check your digital footprints with some conclusions and FAQs. It is essentially a record of a person’s online activities, and it can be both active and passive:

Types of Digital Footprints

Active Digital Footprint

The Digital footprint comprises data generated by the users in the digital space. In other words, it reflects what you show on Internet websites or applications. Such exploring means interacting on social media or browsing web pages implying one’s impact on the online world which is called “digital footprint“.

Examples include

• Social media interactions: Sharing, clicking, liking, giving ratings, and re-posting content on channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin.
• Online communication: Sending emails, instant messages, WhatsApp, and joining in online discussions or chat rooms.
• Online content creation: Engaging in blog writing, video making, podcast production, or general distribution of digital media content.
• Online transactions: Ordering products, and tickets and participating in commerce of any kind online.
• Subscription and account creation: Signing up for online services like newsletters, requesting an account with personal details, and others as well.

Passive Digital Footprint

A supplementary term digital footprint has a multitude of meanings such as data accumulated online even if someone isn’t the one actively providing it. This type of footprint is usually generated automatically by services and websites on their platforms when a person is using the internet.

Examples include

• Browsing history: The weblog, which includes the list of websites you’ve accessed.
• Cookies and tracking: Cookie and other tracking technologies realize what you like and dislike and track your desire for information.
• Location data: An individual’s mobile device and application may be capable of tracking a user’s location, this is especially the case if the location services are enabled.
• Metadata: The IP address(es), device type(s), operating system(s), and other technical information that is collected during online interactions.
• Search history: Such records can include search queries made by users on search engines such as Google or Bing.

Why do Digital Footprints Matter?

• Privacy: Tiny traces of a person on the internet can be considered digital footprints and they can contain details about where he or she goes often, what websites he or she chooses for fun, what he or she is interested in, and some personal details like location and relationships too. If not handled with caution, this data can be served to unauthorized parties to get what users are not approved for, for example, targeted advertising or data profiling.

• Security: The larger digital footprint can contribute to one’s exposure to their data being misused, such as identity theft and cyber-attack. Cybercriminals could apply the data accessible on the Internet to fake a person and misuse the victim’s accounts.

• Reputation Management: Online activities can have a great impact on the reputation and public opinion about a person. Employers, educational institutions, and other key decision-makers may take on the role of screeners by, for example, checking on the digital trail of potential candidates as part of background checks.

• Data Exploitation: The digital trace is, therefore, an appealing method used by many advertisers and marketers to reach and guide consumer behavior toward the favored digital choices. When a sufficient level of security and transparency is not ensured, the data subjects may not know how their data is being used or what parties are accessing the information.

• Legal and Ethical Concerns: Digital masking could be elevated to a legal and ethical matter in certain circumstances, for example, if personal data is added without consent or it is used in an unethical manner. Examples of regulations would be laws passed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the EU and the USA to protect the digital privacy of every citizen.

• Digital Identity: Digital footprints are an extrapolation of an individual’s real-life identity portrayal through their online existence. Building a good digital identity is seen as a very new business, becoming a good digital citizen, however, is different; managing online activities and information requires a serious responsibility.

How to Check Your Digital Footprint

• Search Your Name: Unlike in the old days, today days you search your name with the Google search engine. Turn the page and select the ‘Search’ button. Take a look at the top few results to see what results relate to you. Choose various versions of your name and make a search more accurate with minutes like your city or workplace.

• Review Social Media Accounts: Log in to your personal (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.), and scan your posts, tags, and interactions. The security settings should be reviewed & improved based on who can see your content.

• Check Email and Messaging Accounts: Please make sure that you review the privacy settings on your e-mail and messaging platforms (Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp, etc.). Make sure you know how your emails and correspondence are stored, and if it is shared with third parties you can be informed.

• Examine Browser History and Cookies: Examine your browser history and retain from it those tabs you want to keep; omit the rest. Clearing browser cache in addition to cookies will help to delete the tracking information created by visiting websites.

• Review Online Accounts: CS the online accounts that you have namely you have a list and subscriptions. Keep your profile low by using accounts you do not use anymore. Additionally, review the privacy settings on the accounts you are still using.

• Check Third-Party Data: Besides, check-out information comes from authoritative third-party websites – the data brokers or people search sites for example. You may also find yourself in that situation once when your data are on these sites. You might then be able to innovate an option to delete the data.

• Monitor Your Search History: The information about the searches you do might be kept by search engines such as Google if you have given your approval for this service. Scan your recently searched items and erase them if you wish.

• Set Up Alerts: Make Google Alerts or a similar service your highlight tool which scans your name and other personal info online. When you write something about yourself, we send you the notice.

• Review Online Reviews: Search for your name or business on sites like Yelp, Google, and Trustpilot. Positively get the negative reviews.

• Check Privacy Policies: Inform yourself about the privacy policies of websites and apps you are using as an adequate measure of how your data is managed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a digital footprint is the model of data that you leave on the internet if you connect with its topic, people, and digital devices. It includes both the active category of data that you share deliberately, such as social media posts and online purchases engagements, and, the passive category of data that is collected through different means, including information in the background, such as your browsing history, and metadata.

Frequently Asked Questions on Digital Footprint – FAQs

Can I completely erase my digital footprint?

The reflection of our digital footprint can be controlled to a certain degree by some measures. However, the task of eliminating it is nearly impossible to handle. Data may be duplicated or shared across different repositories, instead, the intent is to set limits and curb enormous presence.

How can I protect my digital footprint when using public Wi-Fi?

Use a VPN to encode your connection and prevent accessing important accounts on an open connection. Setting sharing options off on your gadget provides an added degree of security.

Do digital footprints affect personalized online experiences?

Indeed, digital footprints are used for that purpose and companies will know your interest and suggest specifically to you ads and recommendations about products you might like.

What should I do if I find inaccurate or damaging information in my digital footprint?

Address the site operator whose information was posted and ask to take it off or amend it. In some cases, you may have to seek legal support if the content is contentious or irreparable.