← Years 5–6 Data & Information

Active and passive digital footprints

Active = data you choose to share, like posting a photo. Passive = data collected about you without you typing it, like cookies, location tracking or browsing history.

Part of: 5-6 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Data, Information and Privacy — Module 40, 7-8 Digital Technologies: Digital footprint and privacy — Module 4, 9-10 Digital Technologies: Data privacy and the Australian Privacy Principles — Module 3, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Digital Footprints — Module 9, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Digital Footprints and Data Minimisation — Module 3, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Privacy Principles and Digital Footprints — Module 6

Understanding Active and passive digital footprints in Years 5–6 Data & Information

What it does: Posting a photo is something you choose to do, so it leaves an active footprint. Location tracking collects data about where you are in the background, so it is a passive footprint. Cookies are small files a website saves about you, often without you doing anything. That makes them passive. You do not type your browsing history. It is collected as you browse, so it is passive.

Common mistakes: Posting a photo is something you choose to do, so you_choose should be True. That is what makes it an active footprint. A cookie collects data about you without you typing it. That makes it a passive footprint, so line 1 should be type = "passive".

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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 31–56) and word search (Modules 21–56).

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

Learning
Duo
Which one is an ACTIVE digital footprint?
Posting a photo of your pet on a class blogA website saving your browsing history
Matches
cookies = active footprint
↓
Cookies are collected in the background without you typing anything, so they are a passive footprint, not an active one.
Applying
Meanings
Term
active and passive footprints
Meaning
Active = data you choose to share, like posting a photo. Passive = data collected about you without you typing it, like cookies, location tracking or browsing history.
Practice
ACTIVE: I post a photo
Testing
Gaps
posting a photo = footprint
Check Answer
Spots
2action = "post a photo"
3you_choose = False

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Quick Questions

1. Which one is an ACTIVE digital footprint?
A. Posting a photo of your pet on a class blog ✓
B. A website saving your browsing history
Posting a photo is data you choose to share, so it is active. Browsing history is collected about you, so it is passive.
2. Which one is a PASSIVE digital footprint?
A. Typing a comment under a video
B. An app recording where you are with location tracking ✓
Location tracking collects data about you without you typing it. Typing a comment is something you choose to share, so it is active.
3. A passive footprint is data you choose to type and share.
A. False ✓
B. True
That describes an active footprint. A passive footprint is collected about you without you typing it.
4. Cookies on a website are an example of what kind of footprint?
A. Passive footprint ✓
B. Active footprint
Cookies are small files a website saves about you, often without you doing anything. That makes them passive.
5. You post a photo of your birthday party online. What kind of footprint is this?
A. Passive, because the photo is stored on a computer
B. Active, because you chose to share it ✓
You made the choice to post the photo, so it is an active footprint.

Match the Pairs

Active footprint → Data you choose to share, like posting a photo
Passive footprint → Data collected about you without you typing it
You choose to share a photo of your dog with your class, so it is an active footprint → post_photo(dog.jpg) = active
An app records where you are without you typing anything, so it is a passive footprint → location_tracking = passive
cookies = active footprint → Cookies are collected in the background without you typing anything, so they are a passive footprint, not an active one.
browsing history = active footprint → Browsing history is recorded about the sites you visit without you sharing it on purpose, so it is passive, not active.

Key Term

active and passive footprints
Active = data you choose to share, like posting a photo. Passive = data collected about you without you typing it, like cookies, location tracking or browsing history.

Fill in the Blanks

1. posting a photo = active footprint
Hint: Type the footprint type for data you choose to share yourself.
2. cookies = passive footprint
Hint: Type the footprint type for data collected about you without you typing it.
3. location tracking = passive footprint
Hint: Type the word for knowing where your device is, which is collected without you typing it.
4. browsing history = passive footprint
Hint: Type the word for the list of websites your browser remembers you visited.
5. active = data you choose to share
Hint: Type the action you do on purpose with your data to make an active footprint.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A type = "active"
B action = "post a photo"
C you_choose = False
Line C — Posting a photo is something you choose to do, so you_choose should be True. That is what makes it an active footprint.
Question 2
A type = "active"
B action = "cookie tracks you"
C you_type_it = False
Line A — A cookie collects data about you without you typing it. That makes it a passive footprint, so line 1 should be type = "passive".
Question 3
A shared = True
B if shared:
C footprint = "passive"
Line C — If you shared something yourself, it is an active footprint. Line 3 should be footprint = "active".
Question 4
A app = "map app"
B location_tracking = "active"
C print(location_tracking)
Line B — Location tracking collects where you are without you typing it. It is a passive footprint, so line 2 should say "passive".
Question 5
A cookies = "passive"
B history = "passive"
C photo = "active"
D location = "active"
Line D — Location tracking is collected about you without you typing it, so it is passive. Line 4 should be location = "passive".

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