Social Media Safety / Glossary

Digital footprint

Your digital footprint is the trail of information you leave online: posts, photos, comments, likes, and what others share about you.

Some of your footprint is active, like a photo you post. Some is passive, like the location saved in a picture or the videos an app records that you watched.

Things online can be copied, screenshotted and shared, so they can stay around even after you delete them. A photo can also reveal more than you think, such as your school badge or street name.

A quick test before posting: would I be fine with my grandma, my teacher or a stranger seeing this? You can also build a positive footprint by sharing things you are proud of.