the.com/digital footprint
everything you clicked, liked, or typed is now a permanent portrait of you, drawn by strangers.
means the trail of data you leave behind from every online action, which companies and algorithms use to build a lasting profile of who you are.
from coined in the early 2000s as digital marketing borrowed the physical metaphor of a footprint, since early web tracking left traces just as literal as boot prints in mud.
two kindsactive footprint you post, passive footprint you leak
deletion mythdeleted posts often survive in caches and backups
hiring impactmost recruiters check candidates social media first
data brokersyour footprint gets bought and sold repeatedly
for instance
strava heatmap 2018 — jogging app exposed secret military base locations worldwide
cambridge analytica — 87 million facebook profiles harvested for 2016 targeting
college admissions scans — universities now routinely review applicant social media history