Sources of information used to build a digital footprint include a wide range of online activities and data collected both actively and passively. These sources can be categorized as follows:
Active Digital Footprint Sources
These are data points you intentionally share or create online:
- Social media posts, comments, likes, shares, and profile information on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
- Content creation such as blog posts, videos, photos, and articles.
- Emails sent and received.
- Online form submissions, surveys, and newsletter sign-ups.
- Online purchases and transactions.
- Publicly available company or personal websites and online profiles.
- Participation in online forums, discussions, and communities
Passive Digital Footprint Sources
These are data collected about you without your explicit input, often through tracking technologies:
- Browsing history and search engine queries.
- Cookies and tracking data collected by websites.
- IP address and device information (hardware specs, operating system).
- Location data from smartphones, GPS, and location-based services.
- Click patterns, time spent on websites or product pages.
- Data collected by apps used on your devices.
- Records of online behavior such as ads clicked, viewed content, and online shopping habits
Additional Context
- Digital footprints can also be inferred from metadata and behavioral patterns, such as demographic attributes (age, gender, political orientation) inferred by companies without explicit disclosure
- Both individuals and organizations leave digital footprints, with companies' footprints including public content, apps, employee devices, and data assets
- Various entities like employers, advertisers, data brokers, law enforcement, and others can access and analyze digital footprints for different purposes
In summary, a digital footprint is built from a combination of your deliberate online actions and the passive data collected about your online behavior, encompassing social media activity, online searches, website visits, communications, purchases, location data, and tracking mechanisms. Understanding these sources helps in managing and protecting your digital presence effectively.
