Leaving a digital footprint
Your digital footprint is the record of your activities on the internet – so understanding how it works is important. Learn how to help choose and control what information you leave online for others to find.
What is a digital footprint?
All your interactions online add up to something called your digital footprint. Once something is posted or shared online, it can be there forever. Understanding your digital footprint helps you choose wisely what you leave online for others to find.
Every time you're online you create a trail of every action you've taken – even with content you've viewed outside social media. This is known as your digital footprint. The internet makes it very easy for other people and businesses to access and share this information.
So it's important to understand and consider your digital footprint whenever you're:
- online shopping
- using apps
- browsing webpages without clicking
- sharing pictures and videos
- posting, commenting and liking
- chatting on social media or instant messenger.
Leaving a positive digital footprint can be very beneficial to your reputation and future opportunities. Guiding young people to leave a positive digital footprint is a good way to build a positive reputation.
Why is your digital footprint important?
Your digital footprint can have a lasting impact (both positive and negative) on your reputation, relationships, finances, and employment opportunities. Understanding how this works is an important step towards making this impact a positive one.
Creating a positive digital footprint
Right or wrong, your digital footprint can affect how people perceive you, both online and offline. Creating a positive digital footprint is an important part of protecting your reputation, both now and for the future.
Watch this video to get tips for having a good online reputation.
Digital Footprints video
Read transcript
Cleaning up your digital footprint
If you feel your digital footprint doesn't reflect your true or best qualities, you can take steps to clean it up (and improve your digital reputation).
Visit the eSafety Commissioner for information on controlling your digital footprint.
Teachers can read insights from experts about teaching positive digital footprint development in Scan, the journal for educators.
Resources for teachers
Visit the Office of the eSafety Commissioner for classroom resources about digital reputation.
Top tips for parentsRemind young people to consider the consequences of posting, commenting or forwarding something that might upset someone else. Are they aware that something that happens on the spur of the moment – a funny picture, an angry post – can still be online years later? Here are some practical ways parents and carers can help young people navigate their digital footprint. |
Protect personal information
Teach kids how to strengthen privacy settings, use strong passwords, change passwords regularly, and not share them, as well as what is and isn’t appropriate to post or share.
Search for your child online
Sit down with your child and type their name into a search engine looking for images as well as text. If you’re both not happy with anything you find, remove the content yourself if possible, or politely ask the person who posted it to delete it.
If the content is abusive and is causing harm, report it to the platform provider. If they don’t remove the content within 48 hours, you can report it to the eSafety Commissioner.
Help kids create a positive presence
Encourage your children to showcase the positive things they do through blogs, images, videos, and community participation.
Be a good role model
Demonstrate how you’re careful about what you do online and how you look after your own digital footprint. Visit Telstra's digital footprint parenting tipsheet.
Read on for more online safety basics.