Post #7: How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint

 

    At some point in every person’s life, we have all been warned of the dangers of our digital footprint. I have heard “Be careful of what you post, your future employer could see that” at least one hundred times. But what if we are leaving a digital footprint without even knowing it? As hard as someone can try to remain anonymous and limit their online presence, it’s virtually impossible with the data mining techniques and website surveillance that we are encountering today. My dad, for example, is someone who doesn’t have any social media; however, when you Google his name, a real estate website pops up providing his address and mortgage price as well as a website called usphonebook.com with his name and phone number attached. No wonder we get so many spam calls! Another example is Face.com. This website keeps an inventory of facial recognition from various sources including social media, tagged pictures, and even security camera footage. Like Juan Enriquez says in his Ted Talk, we all have electronic tattoos that follow us. The amount of personal information that is readily available to strangers on the internet is terrifying, but what’s even more frightening is the fact that companies, such as Facebook, can use that information against us. 

    These issues affect me and my family directly, as mentioned above. There is no such thing as privacy for anyone who has social media, and even for the ones who don’t. My family and I mainly utilize social media to keep in touch with long-distance relatives and to share memories. The fact that sites like Facebook can sell our personal information and data is very alarming. What’s even worse is nothing we can do to stop it because the terms and conditions of many social media platforms include a contract of adhesion. We are left virtually powerless in this fight for digital privacy.

    Currently, there isn’t any regulation for digital privacy. The government should actively work to prevent tech companies from selling and distributing personal data, especially since many people do not realize they are voluntarily providing it. Additionally, phone tapping and social listening should be made illegal, unless being used for surveillance in a case of criminal activity. More legislation needs to be passed to improve data protection and invasive data mining. 

    There are measures we can take to minimize the invasions of privacy we experience on the internet. For example, clearing your cache and search history from your computer or laptop every so often is very important. Having a lot of information stored in your cache can affect the efficiency of your device and invite unsolicited monitoring. Additionally, declining cookies as often as possible prevents websites like Google from gathering your personal information. By taking these measures, you can limit the personal data you share online and minimize the risks that accompany having an online presence.