What is a digital footprint: when it appears, how to find and delete it

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We live in a world where digital technologies permeate almost every aspect of our lives. Every day we interact with a huge amount of information, leaving traces behind us - sometimes imperceptible, sometimes very obvious. Every search we make on the Internet, every web page we visit or every post we make on social media leaves an imprint that shapes our digital presence. All of this matters, even if we are not always aware of how and when our digital footprint becomes part of the global information ecosystem. We will analyze below how the way we behave online affects us and how to reduce this impact.



What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is all the information that a user intentionally or unintentionally leaves about themselves online. This includes an email address, social media posts, browser search history, and data that is collected estonia phone number library automatically. Every connection to the Internet: from a computer, mobile device, and even a fitness tracker creates a portrait of the device owner based on their actions and publications.

Examples of digital footprint
Let's figure out what digital traces are.




Active digital footprints are data that a user consciously leaves on the Internet. For example, publications on social networks: posts, likes, photos and videos, comments on forums, filled out forms, emails and messages. This also includes online purchases, reviews and comments about products, services and places.
Passive digital footprints are information that is collected without the user's active participation. For example, location data, website browsing history, IP address, device data when connected to the Internet, photo and video metadata, cookies, and log files that track user actions.
Passive digital footprints also include data transmitted by smartphones, smart devices, and fitness apps. For example, GPS data, information about physical training, distance traveled, and calories burned, which can be transmitted to cloud services.

Why a digital footprint is important
A digital footprint can affect a person. For example, websites and