Everyone leaves a trace when they use a website, app, or other digital service. That trace is called a digital footprint. Nowadays, any online actions and posts can potentially be tracked and stored. Once information is online it can be easily duplicated and highly difficult to remove.
This article includes tips, suggestions, and general information. We recommend that you always do your own research and consider getting independent tax, financial, and legal advice before making any important decision.
This article explains the various types of digital footprints and their significance for security and provides tips for reducing privacy and security risks.
Most people have two main types of digital footprints: active and passive. Here's more information on each:
Active digital footprints are the data trails left when individuals knowingly and intentionally transmit information over the internet. Social media posts, emails, forum comments, and websites — they’re all a part of an active digital footprint.
People can have great control over their active footprints because they can choose what information to share.
Passive digital footprints, on the other hand, are the data trails that people leave behind accidentally or unintentionally. This happens when information is collected by websites, social media platforms, and advertisers — without direct input from the user.
For instance, browsing histories, internet protocol (IP) addresses, and advertising data collected through trackers all contribute to one's passive digital footprint.
Almost everything people do online can contribute to their digital footprint. Learn more about the following activities to understand how a digital footprint is created and to manage it.
Posts, reels, follows, likes, and shares on platforms like Instagram and TikTok may create a record of interests, relationships, and personal preferences.
For example, comments or reactions may contribute to a social media footprint that advertisers can use to promote and sell targeted products and services.
Contributing to discussions on forum platforms like Reddit or Quora may record a person’s opinions, interests, and areas of expertise.
Search engines may index a person’s forum content too, making the contributions searchable and permanently visible.
Online transactions gather details. This might include a product that was purchased, where it was bought, and if it was a repeat purchase.
Websites may store payment methods and associated data — like card numbers and billing addresses. This adds to the financial information within an online footprint, making it prudent to consider security measures.
Clicking on links, filling out forms, or subscribing to newsletters may also help companies track interests and tailor marketing content or advertisements.
Websites often use cookies to monitor browsing habits, collecting data to anticipate a person’s future behaviours and shopping preferences.
Similarly, apps may track how you use them adding to your digital footprint. This may include time spent on the app, the features used, and the locations where it was accessed.
It's important to remember that many apps may request access to smartphone functions like the camera, contacts, or location. Often, this can be blocked in phone settings.
Software providers might even store emails, creating a record (or email trail) of who communicated and the topics they discussed.
Some email clicks may trigger marketing trackers that log engagement with promotional emails and marketing campaigns.
Purchasing items via websites can log details like brand preferences, spending habits, and even typical shopping times, which means a digital footprint can be created while shopping online.
Large retailers track returns, reviews, and browsing habits to better understand consumer needs and product performance.
Just being online can build a digital footprint, too. Browsing history shows online activity and how a person interacted with searches, social media, and sites.
Search engines track searches on a national scale, gaining detailed insight into what information individuals and communities seek.
Because most online activities can be tracked, digital footprints could become increasingly important to everyone who spends time online. Here are some possible areas of impact due to a digital footprint:
Digital footprints often contain valuable information, such as identity documentation or payment information. This may be stolen and fraudulently used if shared with unsafe digital services.
Employers, universities, and even future partners or friends may research individuals online — potentially forming inaccurate or untrue impressions based on a digital profile.
After someone shares a social media post, they have little control over what happens next. They cannot influence how the information will be used by others or by artificial intelligence (AI) software, which often uses publicly available content to produce text, audio, and video.
Here’s what people can do to address these concerns and stay informed about how companies use personal data.
Consider using only highly secure payment systems. For example, PayPal’s digital wallet allows people to send and receive money and shop online while their financial information is encrypted.
Read consent forms and privacy policies before sharing data with a website and only permit essential cookies if the site provides that option.
Review social media privacy settings to ensure that uploaded content can be viewed only by approved people, not by search engines or other social media platforms.
As a guide, website addresses that contain HTTPS rather than HTTP tend to be more secure.
Avoid sharing private information on websites over password-free or public Wi-Fi, even if the websites being visited contain HTTPS in the address. Free public Wi-Fi is usually much less secure, and it’s often targeted by online scammers and identity thieves.
Try to review account and social media passwords on a rolling schedule. Avoid using the same password across accounts. And resist the temptation to rely on easily guessed passwords that include information such as birthdays or children’s names.
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