Digital Footprint Check: Self-Assessment and Personalised Cleanup Plan
Your digital footprint is the trail of information about you online: what you post, what websites and apps collect, and what other people publish or sell. Answer 17 quick questions and get a short plan of the steps you have not done yet, each tied to FTC, CISA or Google guidance. Your answers never leave this page.
TL;DRThe short version
5 points
- Your digital footprint is the trail of information about you online: what you post, what sites and apps collect about you, and what others publish or sell.
- This check asks 17 yes/no questions across accounts, search results, tracking and identity, then lists only the steps you have not done yet.
- Every step comes from a named source: FTC consumer advice, CISA, Google Search Help or Have I Been Pwned. Steps we added ourselves are labelled.
- Cleaning up reduces what is easy to find; it does not erase you. The FTC and Google both list limits, and the plan repeats them.
- Your answers stay in this page. Nothing is sent, saved or logged, and reloading clears them.
What counts as a digital footprint
- What you share. Posts, photos and profiles. Public social profiles are one source people-search sites draw on, per the FTC.
- What is collected about you. The FTC describes websites and apps tracking browsing activity and location, and identifiers on your phone that are used to track you.
- What others compile. People-search sites combine data from other data brokers, public social media and government records into reports. Opting out is one privacy step, not a complete fix.
If you also use AI tools, the AI Footprint tool covers what they can see. For stronger sign-ins try the Passkey Lab, generate unique passwords with the Password Generator, and if a breach turns up your details, follow the Leaked Credential Response steps.
Sources
- How Websites and Apps Collect and Use Your Information, FTC Consumer Advice (September 2023). Accessed 3 November 2026.
- Five things to do to protect yourself online, FTC Consumer Advice (4 October 2022). Accessed 3 November 2026.
- What To Know About People Search Sites That Sell Your Information, FTC Consumer Advice (July 2022). Accessed 3 November 2026.
- What To Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts, FTC Consumer Advice. Accessed 3 November 2026.
- Use Strong Passwords, CISA Secure Our World (archived page). Accessed 3 November 2026.
- Turn On MFA, CISA Secure Our World (archived page). Accessed 3 November 2026.
- Find and remove personal contact info in Google Search results, Google Search Help. Accessed 3 November 2026.
- About Have I Been Pwned, Have I Been Pwned. Accessed 3 November 2026.
Last reviewed 3 November 2026. CISA's Secure Our World pages are marked as archived by CISA and may not reflect current guidance. Credit freezes and people-search opt-outs are US-focused. This is general information, not legal or professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital footprint?
It is the information about you that exists online. Some you create on purpose, such as social media posts. Some is collected as you browse or use apps: the FTC describes websites and apps collecting your browsing activity, location and device identifiers. Some is compiled by others, such as people-search sites that gather public records and public social profiles.
How can I reduce my digital footprint?
Start with the steps that cut the most risk: unique long passwords, multi-factor authentication on email, banking and healthcare, and a check of known breaches. Then review social media settings, limit app permissions, adjust browser and ad settings, and opt out of people-search sites. The checklist above puts them in order for you.
Can I remove my personal information from Google?
Google's Results about you lets you request removal of search results that show your phone number, home address or email address. Google says the removal applies to Google Search only; the page itself stays online unless you contact the website owner, and Google generally does not remove results from educational or government sites or newspapers.
How do I remove myself from people-search sites?
The FTC says you can opt out of each site yourself, for free, one at a time, or pay a service. Search for your name, find your report, follow the opt-out link, and check back periodically. Opting out does not delete government public records, and your details may still show in relatives' reports.
Does private browsing hide my activity?
Not from websites. The FTC says private browsing does not block websites from seeing your online activity.
Should I freeze my credit?
In the US, the FTC says a credit freeze is free, does not affect your credit score, and stops anyone, including you, from opening a new credit account in your name until you lift it. You place it with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A fraud alert is a lighter option that needs only one bureau. Outside the US the rules differ.
Is this tool storing my answers?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Your answers are not sent to PlayCISO or anyone else and are not saved; they disappear when you reload.
Is this legal or professional advice?
No. It is general consumer privacy information, drawn from US sources (FTC, CISA) and Google's help pages. Credit freezes and people-search opt-outs described here are US-focused; other countries have different rights.
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