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Your privacy and what you share online
Every time you go online, you leave a footprint of where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Try our advice to protect your privacy and information.
What is your digital footprint?
Whenever you visit a website, share a photo or make a comment online, you leave a digital footprint that other people can see. Your digital footprint includes all the information you share or that’s collected about you online, and there can be a lot of it.
Lots of the information you share can be seen by other people. It can be used to target adverts at you, or it could be seen by a potential employer years later. Sometimes people can use the details you share to work out your identity.
Your footprint can be both good and bad. It could show things you’re embarrassed about later, or help people to see your skills or things you’re proud of.
7 things that could be part of your digital footprint
- Photos and posts on social media
- Data collected on fitness trackers and smart watches
- Games you’ve played online
- Things you’ve bought
- Information you allow apps to collect or access
- Voice searches on Alexa or other devices
- Comments or arguments you’ve been in
Tips to protect your privacy online
Whether you want to protect your privacy or leave a positive digital footprint, we’ve got advice for you.
- Change your privacy settings
Lots of social media sites will set your account to public by default. Changing your privacy settings lets you control who can see your posts and whether they’ll appear on search engines.
- Think before you post
You never know who’ll see photos, videos or comments you put online so think about how others might react before you post anything. Even apps like Snapchat can be screenshotted and shared without you knowing about it. Never share your address, phone number or the name of your school online.
- Delete content you don’t want online
Posted something you regret? There are lots of ways to delete things about you online. It can help to close or delete old social media accounts you don’t use anymore as well.
- Search your name
Typing your name or your username into a search engine can help you find what’s easily available about you online. Remember, if you can find it then so can other people.
- Check what data your device is collecting
Devices like phones, fitness trackers or wearables can collect data about you without you realising. Every device is different so search online to find out if your data is being used.
- Set permissions for apps and websites
Lots of apps will ask for permission to use your data when you install them, including things like your contacts, photos and messages. Be careful about what you agree to and pick apps and browsers that protect your privacy. When you visit sites and you’re asked whether you accept cookies, make sure you check what the website says about how they’ll use them before you agree.
- Share positive parts of your life
Try sharing things you’d be happy with anyone else seeing, things you are proud of. When you post comments to other people, try being supportive and positive.
Changing your privacy settings
Lots of apps and sites will set your profile to public automatically, which means that anyone can see what you've posted.
Changing your privacy settings can help to keep you safe, here's how:
Snapchat
Snaps automatically disappear after they're sent but they can still be screenshotted, or photgraphed with another device, so it's important to be careful.
To change your privacy settings on Snapchat, go to your profile and tap the gear icon. Scroll down to "Who can...":
- Contact me: select friends only
- View my story: select friends only
- See my location: choose ghost mode
- Show me in quick: add Turn this off.
It can also help to remember:
- to block people you don't know who add you, including friends of friends
- if you're in a group chat, anyone in the group can talk to you and see your messages.
There are lots of privacy settings on Facebook but there are a few simple steps you can make to help keep you safer. You can also use Facebook’s privacy check-up to get started.
Changing your privacy setting in the Facebook app
- tap the menu icon (3 horizontal lines)
- scroll down to Settings and Privacy
- tap Privacy shortcuts.
Important things to change on Facebook
- Who can see your posts
Change the default to Friends for your future posts. If you're worried about people you're friends with seeing what you've written, you can select "Friends except" to choose who you don't want included. You can change who can see your past posts as well. - People and pages that you follow
Change this to friends only or to "Friends except" if there's someone you're friends with who you don't want included. - Friends requests
You can choose either everyone or friends of friends. Remember that even if someone is a friend of a friend, it doesn't mean you can trust them. - Search engines linking to your profile
Turning this off will stop people being able to search for you on sites like Google. - Check what info is on your profile
Make sure your phone number, school and address can't be seen publicly. Remember that if you're wearing something with your school logo then they can see where you go to school. - Facebook live
Only live stream to friends and don't share your location.
Instagram sets your account to public automatically, which means that anyone can see what you do or post.
If your account is private, you can approve who can see your photos and videos, and only people who you've approved can comment on your posts.
To set your account as private:
- go to your profile and tap menu (the 3 horizontal lines)
- tap settings
- Scroll down and select Privacy
- scroll down to Private Account and turn this on.
Remember that you can still block and report anyone who is bullying you on Instagram.
Your tweets are set to public automatically, this means that anyone can reply, retweet or favourite what you tweet.
If you protect your tweets, people won't be able to retweet you, and they can only view what you tweet if you approve them to follow you.
To protect your tweets:
- go to your account and select Settings and Privacy
- Select Privacy and safety
- Turn on “Protect your Tweets”.
WhatsApp will automatically allow people to see what's on your profile and when you were last on. Changing your privacy settings can help to keep you safe and stop people bullying or abusing you.
To change your settings:
- go to your settings and select Account
- Select privacy.
You can change the following settings:
- Last seen
You can change this to My Contacts to stop people you don't know seeing if you've been online. - Profile photo and info about you
Setting this to My Contacts can help to keep people you don't know seeing information about you. - Live location
If you're sharing your location with anyone, you can turn this off here.
Skype
When you create an account on Skype, everyone can see your Skype name and location. The best way to keep your name and location private is to not include it on your profile.
You can hide your profile picture from people you don't know. How to do this depends on which type of device you're using, but you can find out how here.
To change who can contact you on Skype
- in the app, go to the menu (3 horizontal lines)
- scroll down to privacy
- set "Receive IMs From" and "Receive Calls From" to "Contacts Only".
Tumblr
Tumblr automatically sets your blog and profile to public, meaning that anyone can find and comment on them. You can change these settings to help protect yourself from abuse and keep your account private.
How to change your privacy settings depends on which type of device you're using. Find out how to change your privacy options.
Periscope
You can change your Periscope privacy settings to decide:
- whether you'll appear on someone's Superfans list
- which live streams Periscope suggests you watch
- if people on your Facebook friends list can find you on Periscope.
To change your settings on the Periscope app:
- go to your profile page
- tap settings
- scroll down to Privacy
- tap the toggle for anything you want to switch off.
Find out more about changing your privacy settings on Periscope.
Tik Tok featuring Musical.ly
Your Tik Tok account is set to public automatically, that means that anyone can view or comment on your videos. It also means that people can search for your account on Tik Tok.
Change your privacy settings:
- go to your profile on the app
- tap the 3 dots in the top right hand corner
- select Privacy and Safety.
Changing these settings can help to keep your account safe:
- Allow others to find me
Turning this off can help to stop people you don't know from seeing your profile. - Private account
When your account is private, only people you approve can see your videos and follow you. - Who can send me comments
Setting this to friends only can stop people you don't know posting nasty comments or pressuring you.
Other sites and apps
Most sites and apps will have a settings section where you can change your privacy settings.
If you’re not sure how much of your profile is public, try looking at it on someone else’s phone or looking online when you’re not logged in.
Keeping your information secure
Having your social media account hacked or finding out someone has stolen your data can be scary and upsetting. But there are easy steps you can take to keep yourself safe.
Use strong passwords
A strong password means that it’s hard for someone else to guess or for a computer to crack. Some people use password managers to store all of their passwords, but these can cost money and aren’t always secure so you need to be careful.
Use our tips for creating a strong password.
- Make it long and difficult to guess
Make your password more than 8 characters and use a mix of lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers and special characters (like %, #, ! and £).
- Don’t use personal details
People might be able to guess your favourite animal, your birthday or your best friend’s name. Try using 3-4 random words that you can remember instead.
- Use different passwords
Change your password regularly and use completely different passwords for different websites and apps.
Set up 2-factor authentication
2-factor authentication adds another layer of security to your password by asking for another piece of information. For example, you might need to enter your password and then enter a code you’re sent via text message. It’s much more secure as passwords can be guessed or cracked.
Lots of apps and sites let you use 2-factor authentication, and you should choose to use it whenever you can.
Keep your apps and devices safe and up to date
Device and app updates include important security fixes, so it’s good to make sure you regularly download updates for your:
- phone, tablet, laptop and computer
- apps and games
- wearables, including fitness trackers and smart watches
- smart devices and speakers like Alexa or Google Home.
Each device is different, but you can usually find out how to enable updates in the settings.
It’s also important to use anti-virus software. You can get anti-virus software for mobiles as well as tablets, laptops and PCs. Make sure that you keep it updated or ask an adult to help you.
Make sure you log out when you’re using public or shared devices
Lots of websites will keep you logged in, even after you close them. If someone else has access to the phone or device you’re using then they might be able to log into your account.
If you’re using someone else’s device or someone else might have access to yours, make sure you:
- log out of any websites or apps when you’re finished
- don’t save any passwords or log-in information
- clear your internet history.
Be careful which websites you’re using
There are lots of websites that will try to trick you or pretend to be something else.
Make sure any website you’re using has “https” at the start of the address so that you know it’s secure. Only enter your log in details when you’re absolutely sure it’s the right website, that the address is correct and it’s using https (at the front of the link in your browser bar).
YOU CAN TALK TO US ABOUT ANYTHING
If you’re worried - find someone you trust to talk to. Try talking to your parents, teachers or another adult you feel comfortable with.
Get more advice and support:
- Childnet has lots of advice and information on taking care of your digital footprint
- CEOP has lots of information and advice on how to protect your privacy online
- Young Scot have got great advice about looking after your digital footprint
Get more support
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