Do you know what the digital footprint you leave on the Internet is? This way you can delete it and avoid leaving a trace

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You, like everyone, love surfing the Internet. You do it almost without realizing it, but you know that it has become something that is already part of you. You need it to check your agenda for the day, to get tickets for the weekend, to see your children’s class at school, etc. The problem with browsing is the large amount of data you leave along the way. This is called a fingerprint. Whether you know this term or not, today you will learn everything you need to know about this trace, and how it can be erased.

Surely you have many times wished that there was no trace of what you do when you surf the Internet, for that reason, today you are going to learn how to erase your digital footprint in a simple way. This is important, because the digital footprint has been gaining importance over the years, having an influence on people’s personal and professional lives. Learn everything about digital footprint, and how to eliminate it to protect your privacy.

What is fingerprint?

The digital footprint is the trace we leave when you connect to the Internet and browse. From your Google searches to the posts you make on social networks, everything is recorded. Unlike the physical world, where what we say or do can be forgotten, on the Internet actions are saved forever.

There are two types of fingerprint:

  • Passive fingerprints: those that we leave without realizing it, such as when we visit a website that saves our IP or cookies that record our preferences. The vast majority of digital footprints are passive, because we are really almost unaware that we are leaving this trace.
  • Active digital footprints: These are the ones we leave intentionally, such as when we post a comment, upload photos or fill out online forms. Unlike passive fingerprints, in this case, we are aware of what we are leaving on the Internet, since it is information output directly from our keyboard.

As you can see, passive fingerprints are the ones that can go unnoticed the most, but don’t get confused, because active ones, especially on social networks, will also leave an important trace.

The dangers of the digital footprint

One of the biggest problems with digital footprint is that what you do on the Internet can have long-term consequences. Comments you leave on social networks, party photos or controversial posts can affect you even years later, whether on a professional or personal level. Many people have lost job opportunities or seen their reputations damaged due to what was recorded online.

Additionally, your fingerprint can be used by cybercriminals to commit fraud, identity theft, or even to harass someone. Therefore, you should be aware of the information we share.

How to erase your fingerprint?

Completely eliminating our digital footprint is almost impossible, but there are certain steps we can take to minimize its impact and protect our privacy.

  • Review and manage your social networks: It is one of the main sources of active digital footprint. You can delete accounts that you no longer use or delete old content that no longer represents you. It’s also a good idea to review your privacy settings to control who can see what you post.
  • Delete cookies and browsing data: Every time you browse the Internet, cookies are stored that collect information about your online habits. You can delete them from your browser settings and choose not to accept them on websites that do not need it.
  • Go egosurfing: Googling your own name may seem self-centered, but it’s a great way to find out what information is available about you. If you find something unwanted, you can try to delete it or contact the page administrators.
  • Delete your histories: It is important to delete the histories of your accounts on Google, YouTube and other services that you use frequently. These histories can reveal a lot about your preferences and habits.
  • Use safe browsing: To reduce the footprints you leave online, you can use browsers that protect your privacy or use private browsing modes that do not record your activity.
  • Create alerts on Google: Activating alerts with your name will help you be informed every time someone posts something related to you online. This way, you can act quickly if unwanted information appears.

What is fingerprint

The importance of privacy in the digital age

Nowadays, it is almost inevitable not to leave a digital footprint, but the important thing is to be aware of what we share and with whom. Although we cannot completely eliminate our traces, we can manage our Internet presence to minimize risks and protect our reputation. In fact, there are companies specialized in this type of things, by hiring their services they can ask the different search engines to stop indexing our information, in order to protect privacy. However, what is uploaded to the Internet, stays on the Internet.

In short, taking care of our digital footprint is essential to avoid possible problems in the future, both with the information we unknowingly leak, as well as all the comments and traces we leave on social networks.

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