Page 115 - digitalliteracy

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6.1 Leaving a Trail on the Web
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When you shop online, connect with friends on social media, log in to a sports website to catch
up on the latest scores, or search for information on the web, you leave an electronic trail that
others may be able to follow to discover where you have been and what you did there. This
trail constitutes your digital footprint; it is digital data that you leave behind, and it is often
permanent. Even if you think you erased or deleted files or turned off your computer, the
data remains and can often be retrieved. Like fingerprints, digital footprints are unique to
every device, so it is possible to trace computer, tablet, and cell phone activity. Therefore, you
should act as though everything you share online is permanent.

How do you leave this trail, and how do others follow it? How can they use what they learn
to harm you? We examine these issues in this section, along with privacy, safety, and security
issues to keep in mind when you go on online. We will also share with you some steps you can
take to protect yourself and your data.

When you use electronic technology, digital footprints are created in two ways: (a) by your
computer itself, through its IP address, and (b) by the websites you choose to visit, which
generate a browser history and what are called cookies. Let’s look at these two methods and
examine the pros and cons of digital footprints.

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