A report from the cybersecurity company Surfshark shows an average smartphone user might generate up to 188 digital footprints each day using just nine apps. Key notes from there report:
° An average smartphone user might generate up to 188 digital footprints in a single day using just 9 apps. Some data is given right away just by starting to use the service, other data is constantly generated by using the app.
° Subscribing reveals 10 static data points: e.g., name, bank details, contacts. If, on average each data point is shared with 7 apps, just starting using apps could generate up to 69 digital footprints.
° With every second of using these apps, a stream of generated content forms: from food preferences to political views or daily trips. This dynamic data flow translates to 78 digital footprints from 15 unique data points, such as search and browsing history, gameplay content, and precise location.
° Certain data aids developers in app improvement. Four points (crash logs, performance data) from nine apps form 35 diagnostic footprints for app functionality. The remaining six digital footprints come from six apps collecting “other data”, challenging to define.
If digital footprints are shared with data brokers, this information can be aggregated to create a digital profile, as explained in the educational video created in partnership with the Internet Society.
For the study, Surfshark picked apps for various needs and calculated what digital footprints are generated in one day. Via Appmagic.rocks we selected 9 apps that are trending in the US — one app for each of the categories: Social media (TikTok), Music (YouTube), Search engine (Google), Travel (Google Maps), Messenger (WhatsApp Messenger), Finance (Cash App), Shopping (Amazon shopping), Movies (HBO Max), Food&drink (DoorDash).
According to the App’s store standard, a single app collects up to 32 unique data points. We categorized these data points into 3 groups by the type of digital footprint an app user creates: static digital footprint generated the moment you start using the app, dynamic digital footprints generated while using the app, app-functioning related digital footprints — and counted digital footprints accordingly.
