What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is the trail of information a user leaves while using the internet. The data is collected while you spend time on social networks, search via a search engine, do transactions online, write emails, post comments, or share content. However, there is a solution to secure your privacy. An antidetect browser is a tool that minimizes your digital footprint by disguising the uniqueness of the device, making it difficult for websites to identify a user.
Types of digital footprint
- Active. An active digital footprint is created when you consciously publish information in the web space, for example, a social network post, forum comments, photos, or public reviews of goods and services.
- Passive. As opposed to active, this type of footprint is created unconsciously. It’s the information that is collected when you interact with sites and applications. For example, websites can record your IP address, get information about your device, place cookies, and track your activity on the site.
Your digital footprint can be used by companies, marketers, or even cybercriminals who can learn about your behavior, preferences, and identity. Most users do not even suspect how much personal information can be collected and for how long. For example, even after deleting your profile from social networks or some publication, the data can still be stored in the archives or on the companies’ servers or reproduced by other users. With that in mind, you need to understand how to manage your digital footprint.
How do you manage your digital footprint?
Some of the ways to hide your footprint include:
- Using the incognito mode or private browsing.
- Clearing cookies and browsing history regularly.
- Limiting the amount of private data you disclose online.
- Using tracker blockers and privacy protection tools for browsing, such as VPNs or antidetect browsers.
- Adjusting privacy settings on social networks and other online platforms.
Understanding the potential risks of your digital footprint being collected helps you control your personal information and protect yourself from undesired consequences. Today, this is especially important as the misuse of private data can lead to loss of privacy or even fraud.