Managing Your Digital Footprint: Privacy, AI, and the Right to Be Forgotten

A digital footprint refers to a trail of data while you are using the internet. Generally speaking: this data consists of web sites you have visited, sent e-mails, interactions on socials such as likes and comments, online transactions in terms of purchases, and any kind of data you leave behind while browsing or more. Digital footprint could be investigated in two sub-titles: Active and Passive Digital footprint.

1. Active Digital Footprint consists of the data you've intentionally provided such as:

   Social Media Posts and Likes Filling out online forms(e.g., signing up for a newsletter) Uploading photos or videos Sending emails or engaging in online discussions.

2. Passive Digital Footprint The information that is collected without your direct input or awareness, such as: IP addresses and location data. Cookies stored by websites to track your browsing behavior. Search history and data collected by search engines. Metadata from uploaded content (e.g., timestamps, device info).

Your digital footprint can reveal a great deal about you, including your habits and preferences, which makes it a valuable target for advertisers, hackers, and even surveillance systems, raising significant privacy concerns. Additionally, the information available online, such as social media posts, can influence how others perceive you, impacting your reputation with potential employers or business partners. While companies often use your digital footprint to provide personalized services, ads, and content tailored to your preferences, a larger digital footprint also increases the risk of your data being stolen or misused in cyberattacks, highlighting the importance of managing your online presence carefully.

Alarmingly, the exploitation of digital footprints extends beyond marketing to the manipulation of public opinion, often influencing societal trends and even shaping political landscapes. In many ways, individuals unwittingly become part of a greater picture, contributing to systems that they neither fully understand nor explicitly consent to. The pervasive use of digital footprints in this context raises profound ethical and legal questions, touching on issues of transparency, consent, and autonomy. From a human rights perspective, this unregulated use of personal data challenges the principles of privacy and self-determination, emphasizing the need for stronger protections to ensure individuals remain in control of their digital identities. In this interconnected world, managing one's online presence is no longer just a matter of reputation but a critical aspect of safeguarding personal freedoms.

Can you check what did you leave behind?

Of course you can google your-self or review your social media accounts back to 2013 :) Most of us already did that. But just googling yourself won't bring accurate results about what you've left behind. And also there could be more than what you can display on a search engine can crawl. More over as a human, there is a limit of data that you could possibly process. You would not like to do what an ai tool easily do in 2025. Rather than this brute force, there are other sites, tools and methods that one can check how one's digital footprint actually looks like. Here below I compiled some of them.

Check Data Broker Sites

Look up your information on people search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, or Pipl. These sites often aggregate public records and online data about individuals. Request removal of your data from these sites if possible.

Use "Have I Been Pwned"

Visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your email addresses or phone numbers have been involved in data breaches.

Examine App Permissions

Review apps on your devices and third-party permissions linked to your social media or email accounts. Revoke access for apps or services you no longer use.

Analyze Digital Trail with Tools

Google Dashboard: Provides a summary of your activity on Google services. Facebook Access Your Information Tool: Allows you to review your data on Facebook. MyActivity (Google): Check your activity across Google products like Search, Maps, and YouTube.

Check Public Records

Some public records, such as voter registration or property records, may be accessible online. Search to see what is publicly available about you.

All these data and privacy concerns resonate with another important human rights concept: the Right to Be Forgotten.

The Right to Be Forgotten was first formally recognized in 2014 by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It emerged from the case of Google Spain SL, Google Inc. v. Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, Mario Costeja González, where the court ruled that individuals have the right to request the removal of personal data from search engine results if it is outdated, irrelevant, or no longer necessary. This concept is now enshrined in the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) under Article 17.

There have been tragic cases where individuals took their own lives due to the exposure or misuse of leaked personal data, highlighting the severe emotional, psychological, and social impacts of privacy violations. Notable examples include the Ashley Madison breach (2015), where suicides were linked to the release of sensitive information, and incidents of cyberbullying and revenge porn, which have led to feelings of humiliation and despair, particularly among young people. Doxxing and online harassment have also caused severe mental health crises in some victims. These incidents underscore the importance of protecting personal data and providing support for victims.

The Role of AI and Automation in Tracking and Analyzing Digital Footprints

AI and automation are playing a significant role in the analysis and exploitation of individuals' digital footprints. A digital footprint is created every time an individual interacts online, whether through social media posts, website visits, online shopping, or even IoT devices. These interactions generate vast amounts of personal data that, when processed by AI and automation systems, can be used to build detailed profiles of individuals.

Through machine learning and sophisticated algorithms, AI systems can track an individual’s digital footprint across multiple platforms, identifying patterns in their behavior, preferences, and activities. For example, AI can analyze a person’s browsing history, social media interactions, and online purchases to predict future actions, tailor marketing campaigns, or deliver personalized content. This allows companies to target individuals with highly specific ads and offers, often without the individual’s explicit awareness or consent.

While these capabilities can enhance user experiences by offering more relevant services, they also raise serious privacy concerns. The more data that is gathered and analyzed, the more control companies and organizations have over an individual’s digital identity. With automation in place, the scale at which data is collected and processed is immense, leaving individuals with little to no understanding of how their personal information is being used.

Moreover, the lack of transparency and regulation around the use of AI to analyze digital footprints increases the risk of exploitation. This can lead to potential breaches of privacy, as data from digital footprints may be accessed, sold, or even used for manipulation without consent. In some cases, it can even contribute to the profiling and discrimination of individuals based on their online activities, reinforcing biases and limiting opportunities.

Ultimately, the intersection of AI, automation, and digital footprints highlights the pressing need for stronger privacy protections. Individuals should be empowered to understand, control, and manage their digital presence, ensuring their personal data remains secure and used ethically in a way that respects their rights. This also brings the discussion of digital footprints closer to issues of human rights, as individuals must be given the choice to manage their online identity in an increasingly digital world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the digital footprint we leave behind in today’s hyper-connected world is more than just a reflection of our online behavior—it is a vast repository of personal data that is constantly being tracked, analyzed, and used. From social media posts to online purchases, every digital interaction creates a unique profile that can be leveraged for marketing, surveillance, and even manipulation. While this data can enhance user experiences and enable personalized services, it also poses significant risks to privacy, security, and personal well-being.

The rise of AI and automation in tracking and analyzing digital footprints further compounds these concerns, as it allows for the collection of personal information on an unprecedented scale. Without proper regulation and transparency, this data can be misused, leading to privacy violations, discrimination, and even harm to individuals' mental health and reputation. Moreover, the role of digital footprints in the erosion of privacy touches on broader human rights issues, particularly as individuals often lack awareness or control over how their data is being used.

As we continue to navigate an increasingly data-driven world, it is imperative that we address these challenges through stronger privacy protections, clearer consent mechanisms, and greater transparency. The right to control one’s personal data, including the ability to erase it when desired (right to be forgotten), must be a fundamental part of the conversation. Only through these measures can we ensure that the digital footprint we leave behind serves us, rather than compromising our privacy and rights in the face of ever-expanding technological capabilities