// the online footprint workshop
What does the internet
know about you?
Your routines. Your people. Your work. Small details can reveal a bigger picture. Find yours, check who can see them, and choose what stays visible.
one clue is a detail / together, a picture
Your discoveries stay yours. Search yourself. Share only what you choose. Use the fictional profile if you prefer. Notes stay in this page while it is open; refreshing clears them.
A little curiosity. A lot of discovery.
Short prompts, private searching and conversations in pairs.
Facilitator preparation and learning outcomes
Bring a device, internet access and private notes. Arrange groups of four for the clue puzzle and pairs for reflection. Test links beforehand and prepare the fictional example. For large rooms, use seated table discussions; online, use pair breakout rooms.
Participants practise identifying three source types, checking their audiences, distinguishing fact from inference, and choosing a practical privacy change. This is a first pass, with the directory supporting further checks afterwards.
No exposure leaderboard. Do not collect worksheets, project personal findings or search colleagues. If someone is uncomfortable, offer the fictional profile or a private break. Identify an internal contact for exposed work information.
Your footprint has more than one home.
Pick a source you use. Open its checklist, then inspect your own information.
No matches. Try a broader word or another category.
What a public search cannot tell you
Search engines do not cover every account, link, archive or breach. A result might be outdated or belong to someone else. Confirm identity and recency before drawing conclusions. Nothing found is not proof of invisibility.
Account exports, purchase history, ad preferences and location history show what a provider holds. They do not by themselves show what strangers can access. Review those privately as optional homework.
Make your own visibility choices.
Record categories, audiences and actions. Keep identifying details off this worksheet.
Check three source types. Make one change. Plan two follow-ups.
01 / Choose your sources
Unused services can be marked N/A. Unchecked is a useful answer too.
02 / Understand a finding
Public, followers-only and link access are different audiences. A signed-out window can help check visibility; it does not make you anonymous.
03 / Change something
Keep information you intentionally want visible. If someone else publishes it, ask for a targeted change. Google search removal does not delete the source page.
04 / Keep going
Private exit check
Can I name three source types I checked? Can I explain a fact and an inference? Have I completed a change or marked it pending? Have I dated two next steps?
Explain one method to a partner using fictional details if preferred. Share a category or lesson, never a screenshot or another person’s information.
Nothing is sent by this page. Downloading creates a text file on your device. External search and resource sites have their own privacy practices.