'I'll Just Google It'

Why your internet habits could be more dangerous than you think.

- Deborah Cicurel

The internet’s a dangerous place, we all know that. We’ve read the shocking articles: slutshaming, revenge porn, websites promoting hate speech and so much worse. And, yeah, Black Mirror doesn’t make us super excited about future complications.

But what about the internet we use every day; the seemingly safe space that helps us meet our soulmates, keep in touch with friends and connect with family? Do we have anything to worry about?

Sadly, in the age of no privacy where personal secrets can be unearthed in moments, we have plenty to fear online, even if it isn’t immediately apparent.

Privacy? What privacy?

It’s obvious that in order to attract a potential partner on a dating website or a dream job from an online recruiter, we should put our best foot forward and avoid uploading off-putting photos. However, most internet users leave much more of a digital footprint than they think.

“Most people don’t realise just how much information they are giving up,” says Matt Buckland, head of talent at UK-based fashion company Lyst. “Simply taking a picture someone has used online, I can use Google Reverse Image Search to find other places where the person has used the same image. This will lead to social networks, dating profiles and business websites,” he adds. “Even if someone has [beefed up their privacy settings], you can often search for photos their friends have shared.”

Perhaps even scarier than this is the sheer amount of information those trusty search engines and online marketers know about you.