The most obvious part of our digital footprint is the information we choose to put online. Social media accounts can reveal a great deal about a person.
Every time we go online, we leave something behind. A photograph uploaded to social media. A comment on a Facebook post. An online purchase. A search for a new restaurant. A video watched on YouTube. A form completed for a competition. Individually, these actions may seem insignificant. Together, they can create a surprisingly detailed picture of who we are. This is known as a digital footprint.
Simply put, a digital footprint is the trail of information created by our activities online. Some of it is left deliberately when we post photographs, write comments or create online profiles. Other information is collected more quietly through websites, apps, cookies and online services. The internet may know more about us than we realise. It is information we share willingly.
The most obvious part of our digital footprint is the information we choose to put online. Social media accounts can reveal a great deal about a person. A public Facebook profile may show photographs, family members, friendships, interests, favourite places and important life events.
A simple photograph can sometimes reveal more than we intended. A picture taken outside a home may show an address or security features. A photograph of a boarding pass can reveal travel details. Sharing holiday pictures while still away may indicate that a home is unoccupied.
Then there are the smaller details that gradually build a picture of our lives. A birthday message may reveal a date of birth. A post about a new job can reveal where someone works. A photograph from a favourite restaurant shows where a person spends time. A simple comment can reveal an opinion, interest or personal connection. None of this may seem particularly important. Until it is all put together.
A digital footprint is not limited to what we post on social media. Websites and apps can collect information about how we use their services. Cookies can remember our activity online. Search engines and online advertising systems may use information about our interests and browsing habits to personalise what we see. Have you ever searched online for a new pair of shoes and then suddenly started seeing advertisements for shoes everywhere? That is one of the more obvious examples of how online activity can influence the digital world around us.
The information collected may include details such as the device being used, approximate location, websites visited, products viewed and how long we spend on certain pages. Many apps also request permissions that may allow them to access information on a phone. Before clicking “accept”, it is worth asking a simple question: Does this app really need access to that?
One of the biggest misconceptions about the internet is that deleting something means it has disappeared forever. It may not be that simple. A photograph or comment may have been copied, shared, downloaded or captured in a screenshot before it was deleted. Old information may also remain stored in backups or archives. This is why it is important to think before posting.
A good rule is to ask if I would be comfortable if my family, employer or an entire room full of strangers saw this? If the answer is no, perhaps it is better not to post it. This is particularly important for teenagers and young adults who may post something without thinking about the future consequences. What seems funny today may look very different when applying for a job several years later.
The internet has a long memory. It can be interesting, and sometimes slightly unsettling, to search for your own name online. Try typing your full name into a search engine and see what appears. You may find old social media profiles, photographs, comments, news articles or information you had forgotten about. Try different versions of your name. Add the town where you live or the name of a company or organisation you are connected with.
The more we understand about our own digital footprint, the better we can manage it. Being online is part of modern life. Very few people want to disappear from the internet completely, and there is usually no reason to do so. The goal is not to become invisible but more careful.
Review your privacy settings. Social media platforms and other online accounts allow users to control who can see much of their information. Take the time to check these settings occasionally. Ask whether the information is something you would be comfortable sharing publicly.
Consider whether a post reveals where you live, work or spend time. It may also be safer to share holiday photographs after returning home. An app that does not need access to your contacts, microphone, camera or location probably should not have it. Avoid using the same password for every online account. If one account is compromised, reusing passwords can place other accounts at risk. Turn on two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of protection to many important accounts.
Our digital footprint does not only affect us. Parents also make online decisions on behalf of their children. Photographs shared by parents can create a digital history for a child before that child is old enough to decide what should be public. This does not mean parents should never share photographs. It simply means they should think carefully about what they share, who can see it and what information might be revealed. The same applies when sharing photographs of other people.
The internet is watching but you can take control. It does not know everything about us, but it can learn a surprising amount from the information we share and the way we behave online. Our digital footprint is created with one click, search, photograph and post at a time.
We cannot always control what the internet knows about us, but we can control much of what we choose to share. The next time you are about to post a photograph, complete an online form or click “accept” on a new app, pause for a moment. Your digital footprint may be following you further than you think.
Liz Thorne
Naomi Roebert
Mariana Balt
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