digital footprint

American  

[dij-i-tl foot-print] / ˈdɪdʒ ɪ tl ˈfʊtˌprɪnt /

noun

1. one's unique set of digital activities, actions, and communications that leave a data trace on the internet or on a computer or other digital device and can identify the particular user or device.

   Our online browsing habits are part of our passive digital footprint, created without our consent or knowledge, but our active digital footprint, especially on social media, can more easily be managed.

2. one’s overall impact, impression, or effect as manifested on the internet; online presence or visibility, as of a person or company.

   a celebrity with a large digital footprint;

   ways to expand your brand’s digital footprint.

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Etymology

Origin of digital footprint

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The transformation is perhaps the most visible in defense’s growing digital footprint.

From MarketWatch

A specialized team of investigators has also been combing through her online activity and digital footprint for clues about the why and how of the mass shooting—as well as reviewing her past interactions with police and mental-health professionals, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some of Van Rootselaar’s digital footprint has already surfaced online.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We want to continue to grow that digital footprint,” he says, noting plans to launch a loyalty platform.

From The Wall Street Journal

"There is a digital footprint but it's not always straightforward. It can be quite difficult to unpick the data in order to try and identify who is behind it."

From BBC