数字足迹(Digital Footprints)或数字(Digital) 痕迹(Traces)或数字阴影(Digital Shadow)是您在计算机或手机上上网(Internet)时留下的信息。您可能已经知道Cookie(Cookies) - 包含有关您访问的网站和浏览习惯的信息的小文件。每当您访问一个网站时，您都会留下痕迹——以 cookie 等形式。除了可以泄露您的 IP 地址和登录凭据的 cookie 之外，您还可能会为互联网营销机构(Internet Marketing Agencies)留下可以兑现的信息你的数字足迹。本文解释了什么是数字足迹(Digital Footprints)，然后告诉您如何在互联网(Internet)。
In a world where algorithms can predict your interests, desires and fantasies, you go about your online life, unaware of the digital shadow you cast.
什么是数字足迹
在我们查看可以收集的有关您的所有信息之前，当您上网时，这里有一个您可能已经注意到的简单示例。如果您访问Amazon.com并搜索一本书，稍后您会发现几乎所有 Internet 网页上的所有广告都在不断地向您展示您搜索的图书。这只是基于Internet Cookie的数字足迹的一个方面。收集了更多关于您和您的计算机的数据。
如果您不采取任何预防措施，以下是收集的数据的不完整列表：
1.您的IP；您在哪里
2. 您的兴趣，基于您访问过的网站和您点击过的链接
3. 您的计算机配置
4. 您使用的浏览器
5. 您的手机IMEI，以防您在手机上浏览
6. 您的电子邮件习惯
7. 你的推文
8. Facebook 帖子
9. 你对互联网上不同主题或对象的倾向(Internet)
数字(Digital)足迹创建一个完整的个人资料，显示您的浏览习惯和购买倾向，因此是营销人员的宝贵资源。这些人收集数据，将它们排列为个人资料，并向您展示定制的广告。
要注意在您浏览网络时互联网(Internet)营销人员可以看到的所有内容，请查看MyShadow.org。这是一个有趣的网站，它向您展示了您访问它时可能收集的几乎所有数据。
阅读(Read)：如何从互联网上删除个人信息(How to remove Personal Information from Internet)？
删除数字足迹
有两种方法可以清理、擦除或删除或摆脱数字足迹。第一个是相当昂贵的，涉及聘请代理机构在Internet(Internet)上查找和清除有关您的信息。如果您想从搜索引擎中删除您的姓名和信息，请(remove your name and information from Search Engines)阅读这篇文章。
第二种方法是在浏览时使用预防措施。我会建议一个VPN（有很多免费的）和一个代理（如果VPN还没有提供） - 和/或使用特殊的浏览器来避免数据收集。该列表包括SpotFlux、 CyberGhost 、Ultrasurf (CyberGhost)、 VPN One Click和TOR 浏览器以及 &(TOR browser, &) & Jumpto Browser。
有多种可用于不同浏览器的扩展程序可让您阻止网站和相关营销机构收集有关您的数据。Do Not Track Me是一款适用于所有主流浏览器（如Internet Explorer、Mozilla Firefox和Google Chrome ）的插件。请记住(Remember)，您必须打开要安装DNT++扩展的浏览器并为每个浏览器单独安装。例如，如果您同时使用Internet Explorer和Firefox，则必须打开 IE 并安装DNT，然后打开Firefox并再次安装DNT. 这些扩展是特定于浏览器的，而不是特定于计算机的，因此您需要在每个浏览器上安装它们。但是，Do Not Track 插件可能存在一些缺点。例如，您可能无法在任何网站上看到“分享(Share)”按钮，而这些按钮如今已成为任何网页浏览体验不可或缺的一部分。
还有许多其他可用的扩展程序不会阻止网站内容，同时防止创建数字足迹。某些浏览器，如Internet Explorer、Firefox和Google Chrome，带有禁用地理定位跟踪(disable geolocation tracking)的选项，启用后会向您不希望收集数据的网站发送消息。您可以在浏览器设置中找到此选项。它可能类似于“要求网站不要跟踪我”。但是，不能保证他们会停止收集有关您的数据。因此，我建议使用第三方扩展程序，例如Ghostery或WebShieldOnline，以防止网站收集有关您的数据。
像Deseat.me这样的服务可以帮助您删除您的互联网存在、足迹和历史记录(deleting your Internet presence, footprint & history)。
我强调VPN(VPNs)（免费或付费）以避免数字足迹，因为它们为您提供访问不同网站的私人通道。如果您不使用VPN ，我还建议您使用TOR浏览器（同时使用VPN和TOR可能会显着降低您的浏览速度）。
我们已经讨论过在社交媒体上过度分享的危险(dangers of oversharing On Social Media)。我们今天阅读的内容也适用于我们在Facebook上分享的内容。
Stay safe! Follow these online safety tips!
What are Digital Footprints, Traces or Shadow?
Digital Footprints or Digital Traces or Digital Shadow is the information you leave behind when surfing the Internet on a computer or phone. You might already be aware of Cookies – the small files containing information about the websites you visit and your browsing habits. Whenever you visit a website, you leave out traces behind – in the form of cookies, etc. Other than the cookies that can give away your IP address and login credentials, you may also be leaving information for the Internet Marketing Agencies, that can encash your digital footprints. This article explains what are Digital Footprints and then tells you how to stay safe and private on the Internet.
In a world where algorithms can predict your interests, desires and fantasies, you go about your online life, unaware of the digital shadow you cast.
What are Digital Footprints
Before we take a look at all the information can be collected about your, when you are surfing, here is a simple example you might have already noticed. If you go to Amazon.com and search for a book, you later find that almost all the advertisements on any of the Internet’s web pages keep on showing you the book you searched for. This is just one aspect of digital footprints, based on Internet Cookies. There is much more data collected about you and your computer.
Here is an incomplete list of data that is collected if you do not take any precautions:
1. Your IP; where you are based
2. Your interests, based on websites you’ve been visiting and links you’ve been clicking
3. Your computer configuration
4. Browsers you use
5. Your phone IMEI in case you were browsing on a phone
6. Your email habits
7. Your Tweets
8. Facebook posts
9. Your inclination about different subjects or objects present on the Internet
Digital footprints create a complete profile that shows your browsing habits and purchase inclination and is, as such, a valuable resource for marketing people. These people collect the data, arrange them as a profile and present you with customized adverts.
To note what all is visible to Internet marketers when you browse the web, check out MyShadow.org. It is an interesting site, which shows you almost all the data that is possible to be collected when you visit it.
Read: How to remove Personal Information from Internet?
Remove Digital Footprints
There are two methods to clean up, erase or delete or get rid of digital footprints. The first one is quite costly and involves hiring an agency to find and clear information about you on the Internet. Read this post if you would like to remove your name and information from Search Engines.
The second method is to use precautions while browsing. I would suggest a VPN (there are plenty of free ones) and a proxy (if the VPN is not already providing one) – and/or use special browsers to avoid data collection. The list includes SpotFlux, CyberGhost, Ultrasurf, VPN One Click and TOR browser, & & Jumpto Browser.
There are several extensions available for different browsers that enable you to prevent websites and related marketing agencies from collecting data about you. Do Not Track Me is one such add-on available for all major browsers like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Remember that you have to open the browser on which you wish to install the DNT++ extension and install it individually for each. For example, if you use both Internet Explorer and Firefox, you will have to open IE and install DNT, and then open Firefox and again install DNT. The extensions are browser-specific and not computer-specific, so you need to install them on every browser. However, there might be some drawbacks with the Do Not Track add-on. For instance, you may not be able to see the Share buttons on any websites, which today have become an integral part of any web browsing experience.
There are many other extensions available that do not block website content while preventing the creation of a digital footprint. Some browsers, like the Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome, come with an option to disable geolocation tracking that when enabled, sends a message to websites that you do not wish your data to be collected. You can find this option in the browser settings. It could be something like “Ask Websites to not track me”. However, there is no guarantee that they will stop collecting data about you. Hence I suggest using third-party extensions, such as Ghostery or WebShieldOnline that prevent websites from collecting data about you.
Services like Deseat.me can help you in deleting your Internet presence, footprint & history.
I place emphasis on VPNs (free or paid) to avoid digital footprints as they give you a private passage to different websites. I also suggest TOR browser if you are not using VPN (Using both a VPN and TOR may slow down your browsing speed significantly).
We have already talked about the dangers of oversharing On Social Media. What we have read today also applies to what we share on Facebook.
Stay safe! Follow these online safety tips!
