DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS What are we really sharing online? Dan Heath - Grwp Llandrillo-Menai
WHAT ARE DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS? “A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet” (Techterms.com)Techterms.com IP Addresses Search History Profile Pages Blog Posts s Photos / status updates
WHAT ARE DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS? Everybody has a digital footprint Some can be very small and hard to find Some can be huge and can tell us EVERYTHING about you Some are full of embarrassing things you thought long gone
WHO MIGHT LOOK THROUGH YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT? (Potential) Employers Colleges / Universities Law Enforcement Family Members Advertisers ID thieves / scammers / unsavoury folk Complete Strangers with YouTube prank-shows
INSTA-PSYCHIC
Dan’s “Did we really need to know that?” Gallery (contents removed) Newcastle Edition
WHAT APPEARS ON INSTAGRAM IN NEWCASTLE? Hot Drinks Food The weather Local landmarks Inspirational / not so inspirational quotes tattoos Drinks / drunks Valuables Contact details Holiday schedules / empty houses Interesting outfit choices Questionable behaviour The after-affects of drinking
OVERSHARING Accidental or Deliberate Do people know who they are really sharing with? What information are you giving people unintentionally? Do you know about LOCATION SETTINGS?
LOCATION SETTINGS Most social media platforms ask for this information Sometimes it is on by default Every Picture has the potential to be searched via the location it was taken. What does this really mean? Photo’s tagged in one place can lead to finding all other tagged locations (home addresses) Maps removed
Even if we’re careful, there is so much information about us online BBC Video Clip
What would somebody find if they Googled You?
THE USUAL ANSWERS Sooooooo many selfies / duck faces Passive aggressive posts I love this / I hate this Memorable information / security questions Far too much information about younger relatives Birthdays / phone numbers / other personal information Stuff I really didn’t need to know
TIDYING UP YOUR FOOTPRINT TURN OFF LOCATION SETTINGS Make sure they are off on all social media accounts If you really want to tag your location you can do it for individual posts Don’t tag location at home
Get rid of unused Profiles Bebo and Myspace are still out there Remove all the information that you can before closing accounts
Review privacy settings regularly Remember some only have two options, Private or Public Check who can see the things you post. Privacy settings change. Things can default back to public.
Only post something if you are happy for EVERYBODY to see it It’s not always just your friends list Bosses Parents Grandparents Younger siblings Complete Strangers
Cull your friends Nobody needs friends Do you really know all of those people If you don’t know a SINGLE person, nothing you post is private!
Keep things Positive If you don’t have a negative footprint, it can’t be used against you T.H.I.N.K. before you post. True Helpful Inspiring Necessary Kind
Keep an eye on your footprint Google your Name, Usernames, Addresses Set up search alerts Are you happy with what comes up?
A few other things to consider What addresses / usernames do you use? Doesn’t look good on a CV What are other people saying about you? (Timeline Review) What are you saying about other people? Be aware of the things you are revealing unintentionally
TO SUMMARISE Be aware of your digital footprint Know what you are contributing to it Watch out for accidental oversharing Know your privacy settings Check it regularly Treat online posts as you would a face to face conversation
FACEBOOK – CIA PROJECT?
THANKYOU ANY QUESTIONS? Please feel free to contact me