Digital footprint and why it matters.

If you're reading this article online, which you almost certainly are, then you have what is known as a digital footprint. The more you step (interact online), the larger your digital footprint grows. Learn what a digital footprint is, why you need to protect yours, and how to minimize your online breadcrumbs with powerful anti-tracking software.

                                             What is digital footprint?

The definition of a digital footprint is the trail of data a person generates, both actively and passively, when using the internet. When you’re online — using your device to interact with websites, apps, forums, and files — you leave traces of data behind. These data traces make up your digital footprint.

As the basis of your digital identity, your digital footprint can be used to track your online activity and details about the electronic devices you use. But a digital footprint really has meaning when viewed as a whole, as it’s the larger collection of personal data. A single crumb (or data point) won’t reveal much; but altogether these crumbs can tell a detailed story, including the websites you visit, the searches you make, the texts you send, and the photos and files you upload and download.

A digital footprint is what online tracking software uses to follow you around online, and it forms the basis of your digital identity. If you use the internet, you can't help but leave a digital footprint — your digital footprint is leaving its mark this very second.

Take reading this article as an example. How did you discover this page? Did you Google something like "what is digital footprint" and land here? If so, you left a digital print on your search history. Then you left another digital print about your web browsing history when you landed on this website. Are you going to share this article on social media later? You see where this is going.

Why your digital footprint matters

Your digital footprint matters because it forms the basis of your online reputation, which is the way businesses, potential employers, government agencies, strangers, and acquaintances think about you.

It's not just advertisers who use your digital footprint to understand your preferences and target you. Have you had a job interview in the past decade? Got matched on a dating app? Had a heated conversation on social media or a public forum? Your digital footprint can be used to assess the type of person you are, for better or worse. don' let your social media past ruin your future— delete any old posts you’re embarrassed about, so they’re not immediately visible.

Anonymous as it may feel, what you do online is being passively monitored and recorded. While your data hopefully won’t be used against you in an identity theft scam or sextortion plot, the dangers of a digital footprint can be very impactful if abused. One of the biggest dangers of a digital footprint being misused is getting doxxed.