In November, 26-year-old Nick Fuentes went viral for an offensive speech he made on politics. In the video, Fuentes shared his vile far-right beliefs such as; men will always have control over the female body, there will never be a female president, and that men will continue to win by keeping women down. Since then, the influencer’s address in Chicago was doxxed by critics. With reports of harassment and threats coming in fast, Fuentes has now stayed quiet about his opinions. This is just one example of the risks that come with a poor digital footprint.
A digital footprint is information about a particular person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity. It can be created intentionally and unintentionally when interacting on the web. Most times, we don’t even realize how impactful internet activity can be until it comes back to haunt us.
This applies to what we post on Instagram, the videos we make on YouTube, tweets spread through X, and everything else that is put on the internet. When thinking about your digital footprint, there are many things to consider; a rude comment left on a picture in 2020, a cruel video posted a few weeks ago, and even an embarrassing selfie taken in the ninth grade. Digital footprints can be deeply harmful and it’s important to know what consequences we’re dealing with.
We have to pay attention to everything, from online purchases and browsing history to websites that may save an IP address from the computer. While we all have the right to free speech, we also have the right to reactions that come from free speech. The trace we leave on the internet can ruin the most important things in our lives; reputations at school, work and home, relationships, and employment opportunities.
When something is displayed on the internet, it’s there forever. Even when deleted, the material is still floating around with little control to how it is interpreted and used by someone else. Then, we are exposed to risks like cyberstalking, harassment and physical threats. Also,contrary to what we might think, there is more than just one person being affected by it. An unpleasant digital footprint can harm certain companies that collect personal data from their employees.
Unfortunately, there really is no way to prevent having a data trail. Digital footprints are real and we can all be victims. When posting on the internet or visiting websites, remember one fundamental truth: What goes around, comes around.
