Your digital footprint describes your traceable online information, including social media activity, browsing history, emails and texts. A digital footprint provides a detailed description of a person, or at least how they present themselves online. With an estimated 5.52 billion people online worldwide, the amount of readily available personal data is hard to imagine.
An inappropriate comment, ill-thought-out photo, or other problematic content can ruin a person’s reputation and career. Examples abound: Public relations executive Justine Sacco was fired for an insensitive and racist comment. When hackers breached the infidelity site Ashley Madison, millions of users had their extramarital indiscretions exposed, leading to divorces and even suicides.
Most people don’t have blatantly racist, sexist, or marriage-ending content hiding in their digital footprint, but knowing how to check a digital footprint remains essential. Less damaging content, particularly content people posted as kids, can make the difference between getting hired for your dream job and missing a golden opportunity. Sensitive personal information floating out in cyberspace can also lead to identity theft.
It’s said that once something is online, it’s online forever. That’s sometimes true, especially if a video or post goes viral but many aspects of your digital footprint can be identified and removed.
Assessing Your Current Digital Footprint
Digital footprint data comes in two forms: active and passive. Passive data is the information collected by websites, apps, and search engines without your knowledge. Your browsing history is an example of a passive digital footprint.
Active data describes the information you purposefully share, such as videos, social media posts, texts, or emails. That goofy photo you posted when you were fifteen counts as active data, as do any videos taken of you and uploaded by others.
Here’s how to see your digital footprint:
Search Yourself Online
Start your digital footprint check by searching your name online. If you have a common name, you may need to include additional information, such as your location or job title. Use several different search engines for this; some data may only appear on specific search engines. Remember to run an image search using your name, too. Note any information you want to remove.
If you want personal data on a website removed, contact the site and ask them to delete it. This is especially important for sensitive information such as your phone number or address. For instance, many large real estate sites search publicly available municipal databases for property ownership data and post the information. Run a search on your address to see what comes up.
Identifying Outdated or Inaccurate Information
Your next step is to review all your social media profiles, check old posts and photos for anything that might prove problematic in the future, and either delete the content or set the profile to private. The images you posted when you were a second-year college student during Spring Break may trigger personal nostalgia, but depending on their content may give potential employers pause. Likewise, many people’s political views and stances on social issues change over time. Check for posts that no longer align with your beliefs and values. If you use or have used online dating sites, check your content on them as well.
Check professional websites like LinkedIn for outdated professional information. A digital footprint check is an excellent opportunity to update your resume.
Taking Control of Your Online Presence
Update Privacy Settings on Social Media
The default privacy settings for most social media sites aren’t very private. Unless you change these settings, anyone can see your posts, exposing you to malicious actors. Go through your active social media profiles and change your privacy so you share with the least number of people possible. For instance, you may want to limit who can see your posts to people in your Friends list. Check the settings to ensure social media platforms do not share your data with other apps.
Deleting Unused Accounts
Social media platforms wax and wane in popularity, and users often abandon one platform for another. When this happens, your old social media profile remains, just sitting alone, waiting to be found. If you have a long-unused Facebook or X profile, delete or deactivate it to reduce your digital footprint.
Securing Your Personal Data
Strengthening Passwords and Using MFA
Every app and social media account needs a unique password to protect your data. Strong passwords are at least 12 characters long and include a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
You can use password managers to keep track of your passwords. While not invulnerable to hacking, password managers encrypt your passwords for storage, making it more difficult for hackers to retrieve usable data.
For maximum protection, use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect data. An MFA requires two or more authenticators to access an account. MFA authentication includes passwords, codes texted or emailed to the user, or biometric data like fingerprint scans.
Minimizing Data Sharing
On the passive side of your digital footprint check, remember to check the default service permissions of every app you use. Apps can collect personal information, location data, device information, and online activity. Many have privacy settings that allow you to limit data collection to the essentials needed for app performance.
Long-Term Maintenance for a Cleaner Digital Footprint
Regular Self-Audits
Once you understand how to clear your digital footprint, make digital security part of your online life. Perform a digital footprint check once or twice a year to ensure your online image isn’t at risk of new data. In most cases, new data is harmless, but it pays to be aware of your digital reputation on an ongoing basis.
Staying Informed About Digital Privacy Trends
Digital privacy is an ever-evolving aspect of online life, with new threats and solutions emerging over time. Stay abreast of these changes by routinely checking how companies collect and use your data. An update to any privacy policy should be checked out. Understand your consumer privacy rights, and stay current on the latest encryption and security methods. Even small changes help: Fiber optic internet, for instance, is more secure than cable or DSL.
Your Online Reputation Matters
Your online activities are just as important as your real-life actions. If anything, they’re more so; a misspoken comment that would be quickly forgotten in real life can have a decades-long influence on your reputation when it’s posted online. Digital footprints tell a story. Make sure it’s the one you want told.
Start tidying up your digital footprint today! Share your progress or favorite tools in the comments to inspire others.
Also Read: Essential Apps That Will Protect Your Privacy Online