← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Who can see your digital footprint

The many people who can see your digital footprint, such as friends, strangers, companies and later schools and employers, not just the people you meant to share with.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Digital Footprints — Module 16

Understanding Who can see your digital footprint in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: Apps and companies are part of the audience because they collect and store your activity. Your footprint stays online, so people can see it later, not only on the day you post. A public post can be seen by anyone, not just the friends you had in mind. That is the wider audience. Companies and apps can see data about what you do, even if other users cannot. Old posts can stay online. Schools and employers may look at them years later. A public setting means people outside your friends and family can see it.

Common mistakes: The word public is text, so it needs quotation marks. Without them the program thinks public is a variable that does not exist. It should be setting ← "public". Strangers were added to the audience on line 3, so the wider audience is not just friends. The message should say many people can see the post.

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Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 174–225) and word search (Modules 137–225).

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Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning
Duo
You post a photo on a public profile for your friends. Who can see it?
Only the friends you meant to share withFriends, strangers and companies can all see it
Matches
post.visibleTo = "Friends only" # but the post is public
↓
Thinking only friends can see it. A public post can be seen by strangers, companies and others, so check who can really see it.
Applying
Meanings
Term
wider audience
Meaning
The many people who can see your digital footprint, such as friends, strangers, companies and later schools and employers, not just the people you meant to share with.
Practice
post ← "my holiday photo"
Testing
Gaps
audience = [friends, family, ]
Check Answer
Spots
1post ← "soccer video"
2setting ← public

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Quick Questions

1. You post a photo on a public profile for your friends. Who can see it?
A. Only the friends you meant to share with
B. Friends, strangers and companies can all see it ✓
A public post can be seen by anyone, not just the friends you had in mind. That is the wider audience.
2. Which sentence about your digital footprint is true?
A. Many people can see it, not just the ones I meant to share with ✓
B. Only my family can see it
Your footprint can reach a wider audience, including people you never planned to share with.
3. A stranger finds your public gaming profile. What can they do?
A. Look at what you have posted and shared ✓
B. Nothing, because strangers cannot see public profiles
Public information can be seen by strangers, so only post things you are happy for anyone to see.
4. An app collects data about the games you play. Who can see this information?
A. The company that made the app ✓
B. No one at all
Companies and apps can see data about what you do, even if other users cannot.
5. Which person might look at your old posts in the future?
A. Nobody, because old posts disappear
B. A future school or employer ✓
Old posts can stay online. Schools and employers may look at them years later.

Match the Pairs

audience = "wider audience" → The many people who can see your footprint, not just the people you meant to share with
post.visibleTo = "Public" → Anyone can see this post, including strangers you have never met
Companies and apps can see what you do online and may keep that data → app.collect(myActivity)
Future schools and employers may look at posts you made years ago → employer.view(oldPosts)
post.visibleTo = "Friends only" # but the post is public → Thinking only friends can see it. A public post can be seen by strangers, companies and others, so check who can really see it.
futureEmployer.canSee = False → Believing future schools and employers can never see your footprint. They might see old posts, so think before you share.

Key Term

wider audience
The many people who can see your digital footprint, such as friends, strangers, companies and later schools and employers, not just the people you meant to share with.

Fill in the Blanks

1. audience = [friends, family, strangers]
Hint: Type the group of people you do not know who can see a public post.
2. audience = [friends, companies, strangers]
Hint: Type the group that runs apps and collects data about what you do.
3. later = [schools, employers]
Hint: Type the group of people who might give you a job in the future.
4. IF setting = public THEN anyone = TRUE
Hint: Type the privacy setting that lets anyone online see your post.
5. IF viewers > intended THEN wider = TRUE
Hint: Type the comparison operator that checks if the number of viewers is greater than planned.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A post ← "soccer video"
B setting ← public
C IF setting = "public" THEN
D DISPLAY "Strangers can see it"
E END IF
Line B — The word public is text, so it needs quotation marks. Without them the program thinks public is a variable that does not exist. It should be setting ← "public".
Question 2
A post ← "holiday photo"
B audience ← ["friends", "family"]
C ADD "strangers" TO audience
D DISPLAY "Only friends can see it"
Line D — Strangers were added to the audience on line 3, so the wider audience is not just friends. The message should say many people can see the post.
Question 3
A audience ← ["friends", "strangers"]
B FOR EACH viewer IN audiences DO
C DISPLAY viewer, " can see it"
D END FOR
Line B — The list was named audience on line 1. Line 2 uses audiences, which does not exist. The loop should be FOR EACH viewer IN audience DO.
Question 4
A visibility ← "public"
B IF visibility ← "public" THEN
C audience ← "anyone online"
D END IF
Line B — An IF needs to compare values, so it uses = and not the assignment arrow ←. It should be IF visibility = "public" THEN.
Question 5
A post ← "gaming screenshot"
B viewers ← ["friends", "family"]
C ADD viewers TO "companies"
D DISPLAY "Apps collect it too"
Line C — The item being added comes first, then TO, then the list. Companies and apps can see your footprint too, so it should be ADD "companies" TO viewers.

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