Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint is the information your online activities leave behind. This guide helps parents, teenagers and adults understand that information, reduce unnecessary exposure and respond when something goes wrong. It covers posts you choose to share, data services collect and content other people publish about you.

What makes up your digital footprint?

An active footprint includes photos, comments, messages, purchases and information entered into forms. A passive footprint includes records such as device identifiers, browsing activity and location information. In addition, friends, schools, clubs and relatives can add to your footprint without you posting anything yourself.

Some information is public, while other information remains within an account or organisation. However, a private account does not prevent a recipient from taking screenshots or sharing a message. A username, school badge or background landmark can also reveal more than you intended.

Why it matters: Managing your digital footprint helps protect privacy, relationships and account security. It also lets you decide what you want others to find, rather than leaving old settings and forgotten accounts in control.

Why digital footprints matter today

Personal details can help someone make a scam seem believable. For example, a public birthday, school name and family connection can give an impersonator a convincing story. Doxing means exposing someone’s identifying or private information without their agreement, often to encourage harassment.

Online behaviour may also affect how others judge you. However, claims that every employer checks profiles or that one post inevitably ruins a career are misleading. Context matters, and a child deserves support rather than shame if someone misuses their information.

Your footprint can also show creativity, community involvement and achievements. Nevertheless, a positive public profile does not require sharing your home, routines or private family life. Consider what an intended audience needs to know and keep the rest private.

AI, photos and voice recordings

AI tools create new reasons to review what you share. A photo, voice clip or personal story can leave your control when you upload it. The Data Protection Commission’s AI advice for teenagers encourages careful handling of personal data and checking how AI services use it.

A deepfake is an image, recording or video altered or generated to make someone appear to do something they did not do. Although not every image will be misused, public photographs can become material for impersonation or abuse. Do not upload another person’s photograph into an AI tool without considering their privacy and agreement.

Our family safety word advice explains one precaution against impersonation calls. However, a safety word is only one layer. Always verify an unexpected request for money through a trusted contact route.

Review your digital footprint

Choose a calm time to review accounts together. Explain that the purpose is to improve privacy, not to catch someone out. Keep a list of concerns so you can work through them without feeling you must fix everything immediately.

• Search your name, common usernames and name variations in a search engine.
• Check image results and public profiles, including older accounts.
• Review profile photos, biographies, tagged content, follower lists and public comments.
• Look for school names, uniforms, house numbers, regular routes and real time location clues.
• Ask relatives, clubs or schools about unwanted public images where appropriate.
• Prioritise exposed contact details, account access and threatening content before less urgent tidying.

Why it matters: Search results show only part of a footprint. Therefore, also review what people can see inside apps and what organisations hold about you.

Reduce your digital footprint and tracking

Review audiences and account connections

Use our Social Media Safety Settings and Messaging Apps Safety Settings for current platform instructions. Settings differ, so a single menu path will not work on every service.

• Choose the narrowest suitable audience for personal posts.
• Remove followers you do not recognise and review who can contact you.
• Check tags and mentions, including whether approval applies to your profile only.
• Stop sharing live locations with people who do not need them.
• Review connected apps and remove access you no longer use.
• Read the service’s information about advertising and data controls before changing them.

Why it matters: These controls reduce exposure, but they do not erase information already copied or restrict the platform’s own data collection completely.

Review device permissions and browser choices

Camera, microphone, contacts and location permissions should match an app’s purpose. For full device instructions, use Apple’s app access guidance or Google’s Android permissions guidance. Android labels can vary by manufacturer.

• Check which apps can access your location, camera, microphone and photos.
• Remove permissions an app does not need, then check that essential functions still work.
• Choose limited photo access or approximate location where suitable options exist.
• Decline optional tracking or advertising cookies when you do not want them.
• Review browser privacy controls and remove unnecessary extensions.

Why it matters: Clearing browser history does not remove records held by websites. Similarly, a VPN changes some network visibility but does not hide information you publish or an account you sign into.

Secure accounts before deleting old ones

The National Cyber Security Centre’s account security guide explains passwords, passkeys and additional login protection. Start with the email account used to recover other services.

• Use a different strong password for each account, or a supported passkey.
• Enable two factor authentication where available.
• Check recovery details and signed in devices.
• Save important data and check subscriptions before deleting an unused account.
• Use the service’s account deletion process rather than merely uninstalling its app.

Why it matters: An abandoned account can still contain personal information. However, deletion can affect subscriptions, purchases or linked services, so review these first.

Removing information from your digital footprint

The internet is not an unchangeable permanent record. You can often delete posts, close accounts or request removal. However, screenshots, copies and lawful retention may limit what any one request achieves.

Google’s personal information removal guidance explains available search removal routes. Its Results about you tool has age and market restrictions, while separate request routes cover some other situations. Removing a search result does not remove the original webpage.

The right to erasure also has limits and exceptions. Therefore, keep a record of your request and the organisation’s reply. If the organisation does not resolve your concern, follow the DPC complaint guidance.

• Remove content you control through the account that posted it.
• Request removal from the website or platform using its relevant privacy or reporting process.
• Use a search engine removal route where the result meets its criteria.
• Keep the URL, account name, dates and reference numbers for follow up.
• Avoid contacting a threatening person directly or paying someone who promises guaranteed removal.

Protect a child’s digital footprint without blaming them

Parents contribute to children’s footprints through sharenting, meaning sharing information about a child online. The DPC’s sharenting survey highlights concerns about privacy and autonomy. Before posting, consider the child’s wishes, identifying details and whether sharing is necessary.

• Ask before sharing a child’s photo when they can express a view.
• Respect a refusal and avoid embarrassing, intimate or distressing images.
• Ask relatives to follow the same family rules.
• Use small, trusted audiences and avoid school, health and location details.
• Explain that telling a trusted adult about a mistake will lead to help.

Children cannot control everything others publish about them. Consequently, responsibility for abuse belongs with the person causing it. Our Children and Online Privacy guide explains privacy, consent and family boundaries in more detail.

Reporting harassment, threats or image abuse

If someone faces immediate danger, call 112 or 999. For suspected crime, contact An Garda Síochána. Where a child needs someone to talk to, Childline offers free phone and online support.

For suspected child sexual abuse material or intimate images shared without consent, use Hotline.ie. Do not download or circulate sexual images of a child. Keep links and nonsexual evidence, and seek Garda guidance.

Report harmful content to the platform and keep its reference number. Coimisiún na Meán’s reporting guides explain reporting routes and further options. Our Useful Links page helps you find additional support.

Digital footprint checklist

• Review what strangers can see on each account.
• Check old posts, tags and connected apps.
• Remove unnecessary location and contact details.
• Secure email and other important accounts.
• Agree family rules about sharing other people’s images.
• Review AI uploads and permissions.
• Keep reporting information where someone has caused harm.
• Repeat the review when devices, accounts or family circumstances change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a private account make my digital footprint private?

It limits some access, but does not prevent screenshots, recipient sharing or platform processing. Therefore, review followers, messages and permissions as well as the account’s audience setting.

Should a child use their face as a profile picture?

A neutral avatar can reduce unnecessary exposure of a child’s face. However, it does not hide a revealing username, biography, school detail or location.

Does deleting an app delete my account?

Usually it does not. Check the service’s account closure instructions and review any billing separately before removing the app from the device.

Can I guarantee that every copy disappears?

No removal service can guarantee control over every copy. Nevertheless, deletion, reporting and valid privacy requests can still reduce exposure and harm.

Related CODA Guides

Continue with Protecting Personal Information Online for account and scam prevention. Use Resources for Parents for device and app guides, and Video Guides for further learning.

References

• Data Protection Commission’s AI advice for teenagers: Current Irish advice on personal data, AI and trusted human support.
• Apple’s app access guidance: Official iPhone privacy and app permission instructions.
• Google’s Android permissions guidance: Official Android app permission instructions.
• National Cyber Security Centre’s account security guide: Plain English account security guidance.
• Google’s personal information removal guidance: Search result removal routes and their limitations.
• right to erasure: Erasure rights, circumstances and exceptions.
• DPC complaint guidance: How to raise a data protection concern after contacting an organisation.
• DPC’s sharenting survey: Official survey and guidance on parents sharing information about children.
• An Garda Síochána: Official crime reporting and emergency information.
• Childline: Support for children and young people.
• Hotline.ie: Reporting suspected illegal online content and intimate image abuse.
• Coimisiún na Meán’s reporting guides: Platform reporting and complaint guidance.

About Children of the Digital Age

Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education and training for families, schools and organisations. Our work brings together practical safety guidance, cybersecurity and cyberpsychology. For education and training enquiries, visit Contact Us.

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Last updated: 14 October 2026