Digital footprint: what the internet knows about you and can you completely “erase yourself” online?

Every day, we leave thousands of traces on the internet: likes, geolocation data, photos, comments, and even simple clicks on links. Together, these fragments form a digital profile that can persist far longer than most people expect. Data leaks, intrusive advertising, reputational risks, and fraud are just some of the real-world consequences. But what exactly is a digital footprint, what kind of data is collected, and is it even possible to disappear from the internet entirely?

What a digital footprint is

A digital footprint refers to the entire body of information a person leaves behind while using the internet and digital devices. This includes the obvious—social media posts or browsing history—but also a much broader behavioral profile: what a person reads, buys, communicates about, and even where they go.

Digitalization expert Alexey Onosov emphasizes that this is essentially an aggregated portrait of an individual. Information security specialist Evgeny Tsarev adds that people themselves often create most of this footprint by willingly filling out forms, posting photos, or sharing their location.

With every new post, subscription, or review, the digital footprint continues to grow.

Active and passive data trails

Experts typically divide digital footprints into two categories.

An active footprint is created consciously:

• registering for services
• posting photos, videos, and updates
• using personal profiles

A passive footprint is generated without direct user involvement. This includes data collected automatically by websites and apps: IP addresses, location, browsing history, cookies, device specifications, purchase history, and financial data.

As Alexander Farafonov, head of legal support at TransTeleCom, explains, passive digital traces are primarily made up of fragments that websites leave on a user’s device.

How digital footprints are used

Advertisers actively analyze user behavior to deliver highly targeted ads. If someone visits a shoe website, they are likely to see shoe ads across other platforms shortly afterward.

Cybercriminals also exploit publicly available information. Knowing a person’s hobbies, workplace, or relatives helps them craft convincing scam scenarios. However, attackers more often obtain data not through continuous tracking but through leaked databases.

It is important to distinguish between a digital footprint and personal data leaks. It is usually these leaks—not everyday browsing—that lead to fraudulent “bank calls” or aggressive targeting. Data can be exposed through cyberattacks or internal leaks caused by employees in smaller companies.

Why it can be dangerous

An unmanaged digital footprint can lead to serious consequences:

• scammers can use public photos and videos to create fake accounts
• old posts and comments can harm job or partnership prospects
• employers and universities routinely check candidates’ social media
• data leaks can lead to account hacking attempts

According to cybersecurity consultant Alexander Dvoryansky from KROK, Google remains one of the largest data collectors. An Android smartphone, for instance, may transmit location data more than 350 times per day.

Can you completely erase yourself from the internet?

Experts agree that fully deleting one’s digital footprint is practically impossible, both technically and legally. However, it is possible to significantly reduce it.

The first steps usually include:

• auditing all existing accounts by searching email inboxes for registration confirmations
• deleting unused profiles
• tightening privacy settings on active accounts and limiting shared information

The so-called “right to be forgotten” allows individuals to request search engines to remove links to outdated, inaccurate, or unlawfully published information. Requests must specify exact pages and reasons.

Useful tools include:

• searching your own name, emails, and usernames in multiple languages
• reverse image search tools
• services like Have I Been Pwned and Firefox Monitor to check for data leaks
• Google’s personal information removal tools

Experts also recommend keeping screenshots of all removal requests and explicitly asking for full deletion rather than simple deactivation.

Practical steps to protect yourself

• limit cookies in your browser
• disable location history and Google synchronization
• use separate phone numbers for social media and personal communication
• create disposable email addresses for uncertain registrations
• use random answers for security questions
• regularly delete old social media posts
• read privacy policies before signing up for services

Some public figures deliberately “blur” their digital footprint by publishing contradictory or inconsistent information. However, data stored in government registries cannot be removed.

In brief

A digital footprint is the combination of active and passive data generated about a person online, forming almost every time they use the internet. It is widely used for advertising and, in the case of leaks, for fraud and reputational attacks. While it is impossible to completely disappear from the internet, it is possible to significantly reduce one’s exposure by auditing accounts, tightening privacy settings, checking for leaks, using the right to be forgotten, and minimizing new data generation. The key is conscious and careful online behavior.