TRAILBLAZER TOOLBOX: What Is a Digital Footprint?
Did you know that nearly everything we do online leaves behind a trace? Whether web browsing, posting on social media, or shopping for deals online, almost every click and interaction contributes to a record of our digital lives. Collectively, this massive mélange of data about each of us is known as a “digital footprint.” But what exactly is a digital footprint, and why is it so significant?
Understanding what constitutes a digital footprint and how it’s amassed over time is crucial to protecting privacy and security online, so Trailblazer Broadband has prepared this quick guide. Below, we walk you through the details of digital footprints, including the two main types, and the steps you can take to better safeguard and improve your internet experience on Trailblazer’s high-speed fiber network.
Digital Footprint Essentials
At its most basic, a digital footprint is the collection of data you leave behind when you use the internet, whether you do so knowingly or not. You’ll often see it referred to as a “digital shadow” because the collected data closely follows you as you utilize the internet without realizing the trail you’ve left behind.
Your digital footprint includes a vast record of all the websites you visit, usually in the form of “cookies” that a website collects from each unique visitor. Additionally, you directly contribute to your digital footprint whenever you share information (e.g., your name, address, phone number, or Social Security Number), post content (i.e., social media photos and posts), interact with individuals or company websites, and download apps.
Digital footprints can be active or passive. Next, we’ll explore the distinctions between active and passive digital footprints and their impact on online privacy and security.
Active and Passive Digital Footprints
The deliberate actions you choose to take online create an active digital footprint. This includes sharing, posting, or writing content on social media, websites, and blogs. It also means that you’ve added to your active digital footprint any time you post photos, videos, reviews, and comments or interact in almost any way on the web.
For example, when you post or comment on Facebook or Instagram—your own page or anyone you follow—or simply update your LinkedIn profile, you add to your active digital footprint. Even the emails you send or receive can contribute to your digital footprint, as email providers may use tools to digitally analyze the content of your messages for targeted ads and other purposes. Note that each action is intentional on your part—posting content, sending emails, etc.—and, critically, you can control what is shared and how it is presented.
On the other hand, a passive digital footprint is generated without your direct involvement (and often without your knowledge). It includes the data collected automatically about you while you browse the internet. Websites and apps follow your activity using cookies, analytics tools, and other tracking technologies to gather data on your preferences, location, and online behavior—all of which are passively collected and contribute to your digital footprint.
So, when you visit a website, it might automatically track which specific pages you viewed, how long you stayed on each page, or your overall search history. Your physical location—i.e., your city, town, and state—is also frequently tracked. But unlike your active digital footprint, you did not intentionally input information about yourself or post content—you simply clicked, and tracking technology collected the data and added it to your passive digital footprint.
Why Does Your Digital Footprint Matter?
Your digital footprint is not a mere “collection” of digitized information about you—it has considerable real-world implications for your privacy, security, and reputation online and offline.
- Protect Your Privacy: Millions of people use social media to post about themselves daily, and a substantial amount of personal information can be inferred from a digital footprint. From interests and relationships to everyday habits, companies, marketers, and advertisers can access this data and create targeted ads and offers.
- Prevent Identity Theft and Fraud: Unfortunately, savvy cybercriminals can find ways to access your digital footprint and use it for nefarious purposes if it’s not been adequately protected—including the biggest risk: identity theft. This means that cybercriminals could potentially access your name, address, phone number, Social Security Number, or even bank account and credit card details through your digital presence and exploit them.
- Defend Your Reputation: Be mindful that employers, coworkers, friends, and family may search for you online to learn more about you and what you’re up to. Posts or controversial content taken out of context or inappropriate can negatively impact your personal and professional reputation for years—or even lead to termination.
Managing and Protecting Your Digital Footprint
Now that you understand your digital footprint, how it’s created, and its potential implications, you need to learn how to manage and protect it. Below are several simple but often overlooked steps to safeguard your digital presence effectively.
- Reduce Personal Information Shared: First, and most obviously, avoid oversharing personal details online, whether in posts, emails, or online forms. The more you share about yourself, the more data is available for others to see (and use).
- Employ Strong Passwords and Security Tools: Use strong, unique passwords for every account you use. When available, use multi-factor authentication to access your accounts, and install security tools to protect your data from malware and viruses that insidiously collect it and lead to breaches.
- Customize and Enable Privacy Settings: Don’t forget to regularly check the privacy settings on your social media accounts, apps, and other online platforms, as well as the websites and online stores you use. Many apps and websites allow you to adjust your settings to limit who can see your posts and personal information and what data they collect about you.
- Research Apps and Websites First: While trying out a new app or browsing a trendy website can be tempting, it’s advisable to tread cautiously before diving in too deeply or sharing information about yourself on them. Many apps require permission to access your data or online profiles before you can use them, so carefully review their permissions and privacy policies to ensure they are transparent and trustworthy.
Understanding and managing your digital footprint is essential for maintaining privacy, security, and a positive online reputation. Armed with this knowledge and our recommended steps to protect your digital footprint, you can take control of your online presence and feel more confident while using the internet.
For additional tips to help keep you and your family safe online, follow Trailblazer Broadband’s social pages.