What is Digital Footprint
Digital footprints are data or traces of user activity when using the internet. All the information that you leave behind after your activities on the internet. It can take the form of posts on social media, online shopping history, online reviews you provide, and many others.
You also need to know that digital footprints on the internet cannot be erased. There are two types of digital footprints that you can understand, namely active digital footprints and passive digital footprints.
Active Digital Footprint
An active digital footprint is a digital footprint that is shared consciously by the owner. For example, you upload posts on social media and then interact with social media accounts, such as responding to comments or via personal chat.
Apart from social media, other activities that can generate active digital footprints include:
- Filling out online forms.
- Creating online reviews.
- Agreeing to the use of cookies when using a browser.
Passive Digital Footprint
A passive digital footprint is a digital footprint that a user collects without realizing it while surfing the internet. For example, when you visit a website, you unknowingly collect visitor information, such as your IP address and activities, used to use ads or digital advertisements on the internet.
Negative Impact of Digital Footprint
Here are some of the negative impacts of digital footprints that you can understand.
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Theft of personal information and data
If you often share your data or information, such as your home address, telephone number, account number, ID card number, and other personal information, on the internet, the possibility of your data being stolen will be greater.
It will be easier for criminals to get your personal data by tracing social media accounts or in other ways because your personal data is widespread on the internet. So, you must be more careful in spreading personal data or information on the internet!
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Can be manipulated for crime
If you have social media accounts, be careful about uploading visual content, especially personal photos, as they can be edited and manipulated for crimes such as fraud using fake accounts.
The use of fake accounts is currently also rife. One of the modes often done is asking a relative or follower for money from that account. In addition to fake personal accounts, the crime mode of using fake accounts on behalf of institutions is currently also widely practiced.
You need to be careful if there is a fake account on behalf of Bank MAS and then promises prizes and asks you for some money. Bank MAS always provides official promos and other service information through Bank MAS's official social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, which have been verified with a blue tick.
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