As the internet and digital technology become a bigger part of our lives, more of our data becomes publicly accessible, leading to questions about privacy. Every search you make, service you use, message you send and item you buy is part of your ‘digital footprint’. In the past, it was easy for people to keep track of their personal information. Like their possessions, people’s information existed mostly in physical form: on paper, kept in a folder, locked in a cupboard or an office. Today, our personal information can be collected and stored online, and it’s accessible to more people than ever before. Many of us share our physical location, our travel plans, our political opinions, our shopping interests and our family photos online – as key services like ordering a takeaway meal, booking a plane, taking part in a poll or buying new clothes now take place online and require us to give out our data.