Digital footprint

Your digital footprint is the trail of information about you that exists online. Some of it you create on purpose, such as posts, photos, comments and profiles. Some is created by others, such as photos you are tagged in, news mentions, or people-search websites that collect your address and phone number from public records. Some is collected quietly, such as app and website tracking. A large footprint makes it easier for scammers to write convincing messages, guess security answers, or find where you live. You cannot erase it completely, but you can shrink it: search for yourself, delete old accounts, tighten privacy settings, ask data broker sites to remove listings, and think before posting.