What is a Digital Footprint?
A common comparison is the footprints you leave behind you when walk along a beach – every step you take leaves an impression on the sandy surface that allows another person to see the marks that your activity has made and offers the possibility for them to follow your trail.
Unlike a beach footprint which will eventually fade away, the internet – and any electronic ‘event’ in general – doesn’t work the same way. It’s safe to assume that anything you do, publish or post online may be there permanently and won’t be ‘washed away’.
The information you share online can be used to build up a picture of you as a person and your activities and interests. It’s important to think about who can see that information, and to remember that even if you have tight privacy settings, others can copy the content and pass it on for the wider world.
In short, it pays to think before you put any kind of information online. Once you post something online, you lose control of that content – it can be copied, shared and quickly attract unwelcome attention.