What is a digital reputation?
Definition
Digital reputation is the impression people get of you from what you do and say online, plus what others post about you. Your posts, comments, likes, follows and tags all feed into it.
Full glossary“Your digital reputation is the digital footprint created by all the things you say and do online, as well as what others post about you.”
- Category
- Privacy
- Also called
- online reputation, digital reputation meaning
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
Sources checked: esafety.gov.au
Last verified against the official page:
Australia's eSafety Commissioner describes digital reputation as the footprint left by what you say and do online, along with what other people post about you. It's the picture someone builds of you when they search your name or scroll through your social media.
That last part is why it matters. You don't control all of it. A friend can tag you in a photo you'd rather forget, and an old comment can sit in search results for years.
What shapes it
Everything you add: posts, comments, likes, follows and tags. Everything others add about you: photos, mentions, reviews, news stories. eSafety notes that anyone can search your name or look at your accounts, and that what you share can affect friendships, relationships and job prospects for years.
A simple example: a hiring manager searches a candidate's name before an interview. The first results are an old forum post, a public Instagram account and a photo from a friend's party. None of it is secret, but together it forms an impression.
Why it's hard to fix later
eSafety warns that online content is difficult to remove, can resurface later, and can be shared or misread by people you never meant to reach. So most of the effort goes into what you put out in the first place, and what you can still tidy up now.
Digital reputation vs. related terms
- Digital footprint is the full trail of data you leave online, including things nobody will judge you for, like login records or tracking data. Your reputation is the part other people form opinions from.
- Personal information such as your home address is a privacy and safety issue. Reputation is about how you come across.
The two overlap: the details that make you easy to find also make your reputation easy to check.
How to protect yourself
- 1
Search your own name
Look yourself up the way a stranger would, in a private browsing window. Note what shows up, including images and any accounts you forgot about.
- 2
Tighten your privacy settings
Review who can see your posts and who can tag you on each platform. Guides: make Facebook private, make Instagram private.
- 3
Untag yourself and ask for takedowns
Remove your name from photos and posts you don't want linked to you. If something you didn't post is harming you, ask the person or the platform to take it down, and check your own country's regulator for what else you can do.
- 4
Think before you post, like or follow
eSafety's advice is to pause before you share, because likes, follows and comments become part of the picture too.
- 5
Check what personal details are listed about you
People-search sites can list your address and phone number next to your name. Serus finds where your details are listed and removes them.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
What does digital reputation mean?
It means how you come across online, based on what you post and what others post about you. eSafety describes it as the footprint left by what you say and do online.
Can a digital reputation affect getting a job?
Yes. eSafety notes that what you share online can affect friendships, relationships and job prospects, and that anyone can search your name.
Can I delete my digital reputation?
Not entirely. You can delete your own posts, untag yourself and tighten your settings, but content others shared or copied can be hard to remove and may resurface.
What's the difference between digital reputation and digital footprint?
Your footprint is all the data trail you leave online. Your reputation is the part people form opinions about when they look you up.
Sources
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