6 tips to help you reduce your digital footprint and why it matters

 Leaving a legacy behind. This is what we mean when we say digital footprints. Your online presence is being marked and saved by the internet. Apps, websites, and online services all gather information about your online activities and preferences, which is known as your "digital footprint." You'll also realize that it encompasses any data you produce while participating actively in an online community, such as on social media. 

Eventually, with time the internet has become an integral source of information.

But all this information or dependency is not one-sided, in return, it also traces your data. Your data is collected in little amounts by countless websites and services. They will immediately lead back to you if you use them, leaving a trail of crumbs in your wake.

Is this made you uncomfortable or leave you in shock? Don’t worry, a problem without a solution is not a real problem. Every problem has a solution. Several ways to reduce your digital footprint and keep your privacy intact. 

1. Don’t entertain an optional form

Usually, you have to fill out a form while setting up an account online. To register an account or begin using the platform's services, you must complete the "mandatory" fields on the majority of the forms. "Optional" refers to the other fields. Their objective is to gather more data about you to enable personalized offers and suggestions or to make your profile appear complete.

Avoid filling out the optional form fields if you want to use an online service and leave as little of a digital trace as possible. Creating accounts on social media networks falls under this in particular. In general, it's best to withhold more personal information.

2) Cross-check your email subscription 

All those email offers and newsletters may certainly clog up your inbox. The issue is more complicated than just an overflowing inbox. It implies that you have given each of those businesses access to your email as well as perhaps other private information. Have you read their information privacy statement? Do you have any assurance that they won't divulge your information to a third party?

A smaller digital footprint is the aim. You will need to remove your name from as many lists as you can to accomplish this. Lists you no longer find interesting can be left behind, leaving only the ones that are truly important to you.

3) Remove old email accounts 

Consider deleting any outdated email accounts you may have. Even though they aren't in use, it's possible that they still include some of your private and sensitive information. Perhaps you've used one of them as an email for e-banking or to do business.

Your data will be available to anyone who gains access to your old email account. Additionally, you can't tell that anyone else has any of them because you're not using them. Canceling an email account is a straightforward process. To find and deactivate the steps you don't utilize, you must go back and review your previous actions.

        4) Avoid installing suspicious apps on your device 

There are thousands of apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Security is being strengthened on both platforms constantly. But occasionally, unreliable apps get past the security measures. When downloading programs for your smartphone, you should proceed with caution. Contact information, messages, the camera, and the microphone are all accessible to apps. They can gather and send your personal information because of this.

It should trigger a red alert while installing a game if it requests access to your contact list. Use smartphone applications that don't need you to disclose your data if you want to reduce your digital footprint. Lock your phone and accounts with strong passwords while we're at it.

5) VPN

The term "Virtual Private Network," or simply "VPN," is frequently used to describe an online service that allows you to access geo-restricted streaming video and audio content. The truth is, it goes well beyond that. All data you send and receive using a VPN is encrypted, rendering it useless to anyone who might be able to intercept it.

A VPN not only encrypts all of your online conversations but also hides your real IP address so that no one can discover your home address. You can keep secure when traveling by using a good VPN mobile app. This can be useful if you frequently connect to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks at eateries, cafes, and airports. Smartphones must also be secured because they are indispensable devices that we always carry with us.

6) Don’t use the location tracking feature on your device. 

It's an extremely cool tool to track your whereabouts. You can use it to access search suggestions that are based on your location. It is practical, but it also makes it possible for location services to follow your every step in real-time, round the clock.

Go to your smartphone's settings and turn it off if you want to leave a smaller digital trace. 

Remember that whenever you use the internet, you always leave a digital trail behind. To lessen your digital footprint, the advice we've given you will enable you to decide how much information you choose to disclose.

Conclusion 

A few drastic actions are also taken. Virtual private network (VPN) browsing creates a substantial barrier between online activities and identification in the real world. There is also the nuclear option if your students' sudden desire for seclusion isn't satisfied by even that.

Those attempting to reach the rumored Deep Web frequently use Tor, a multi-layered proxy client, which you may have heard of. To prevent anyone from ever learning who you are or what you're looking at, Tor protects users by passing their IP addresses across numerous proxies.

Of course, achieving complete online anonymity also calls for students to abstain from using any login-based services, such as those offered by app stores like Apple's App Store and Google Play, which can be a more difficult chore than they are willing to accept. Don’t forget to install the K7 antivirus.