Your digital footprint – what do you leave online?

Every time you use the internet, you leave small traces. It can be things you intentionally shared – like photos, posts or comments. But it can also be invisible traces such as cookies, searches and locations that are automatically saved when you move around online.

All these traces together are called your digital footprint – and it says quite a lot about you.

Maybe more than you think.

What does your digital footprint contain?

Your footprint consists of two types of information:

1. What you post yourself (active footprint)

  • Photos and videos you've shared
  • Public posts on social media
  • Comments, likes and reviews
  • Usernames and profiles on different sites
  • Old blogs or forums you once used

2. What others and systems collect (passive footprint)

  • Your IP address and geographic location
  • Times you log into services
  • Which pages you visit and how long you stay
  • Tracking from cookies and apps
  • Data about your purchases, searches and clicks

Many of these things can be traced back to you, even if you haven't written your name anywhere.

DIGITALFOOTPRINT1

Why does it matter?

Your digital traces can be used for many things – both good and bad.

It can be used positively to:

  • Target content and advertisements
  • Save your preferences on a website
  • Make your everyday life easier with automation

But it can also be used to:

  • Create a profile of you – without your consent
  • Sell your information to third parties
  • Find and misuse personal details
  • Perform identity theft or social engineering
  • Judge you based on old posts or pictures

Your footprint may show up if a future employer googles you – or if someone wants to find weaknesses in your privacy settings.

DIGITALFOOTPRINT2

How do you find out what's out there about you?

There are several ways you can investigate and map your digital footprint yourself. Here are some concrete things you can do:

  • Search for yourself on Google (both name, email and usernames)
  • Also check image search – maybe your picture is used somewhere else
  • Look at old profiles on social media or forums – e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit
  • Use services such as:
    • HaveIBeenPwned.com – check if your email has been leaked in a data breach
    • JustDelete.me – see how you can delete old accounts
    • Google Takeout – see what Google stores about you
  • Review app permissions on your phone – what has access to your location, microphone, camera?

Make it a habit to "google yourself" a couple of times a year.

How to minimize your digital footprint

You don't have to live completely offline to protect yourself. But you can take a number of sensible steps:

  • Share less and with care – ask yourself: Does this need to be public?
  • Make your profiles private where possible
  • Use different usernames and emails for different purposes
  • Disable location and tracking in apps when it's not necessary
  • Avoid "Login with Facebook/Google" – use a standalone account
  • Use privacy-focused search engines (e.g. DuckDuckGo)
  • Delete old posts, accounts and apps you no longer use

Remember: The internet doesn't forget on its own – but you can help it along.

DIGITALFOOTPRINT3

It's not about hiding – but about being aware

Your digital footprint isn't dangerous in itself. It's a natural part of living in a digital world. But it's important that you control what you leave behind – and who can see it.

Many people aren't aware of how much data they share – and how long it remains.

By thinking about it and taking simple precautions, you can protect your digital identity – and use the internet with more peace of mind.