What is a digital footprint?

 meaning of digital foot print

A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet. It includes the websites  you visit, emails you send, and information you submit to online services

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Once something is out on the internet, it can be virtually impossible to erase it. When you post an update to your Facebook page, share the results of an online quiz, or visit a website that installs cookies and collects your information, you’re creating an online trail.

At first, this might seem harmless. But would you hand over a list of everything you’ve done online to a stranger? If you’re not protecting your time spent online, you could already be handing out your personal information like digital candy

Whether trackers have good or poor intentions, they’re able to tell a lot about you from your digital footprint. They can determine what you do for a living, where you live, what you do in your spare time, your online habits, and many of your personality traits, just to name a few.

Having a positive digital footprint is important. In recent years, several famous Hollywood elites have succumbed to scandals surrounding newly resurfaced social media posts. A 2011 tweet cost Kevin Hart the opportunity to host the 2019 Oscars, even though he claimed to no longer agree with his former views

You can also lose out on opportunities because of your digital footprint. 70% of employers scan social media profiles of job candidates. Employers may be turned off by your digital footprint, even if your skill set is perfect for a job.

For many, finding out how to reduce their digital footprint is the best answer. But before you can minimize your online trail, you need to know how you’re leaving one

foot print meaning 

why we should reduce
our digital footprint