Digital Footprints

The Australian ESafety Commissioner defines digital footprint as "the name given to the unique data that’s created from online activities". This includes content collected when interacting with AI tools such as chatbots and other similar applications. It is possible, these early interactions will shape educational and career opportunities in the future.

• Some AI tools are not age restricted, putting younger students at risk of accessing inappropriate content at a young age due to collation of digital footprint of others.

• Biased information may be used for learning which may impact learning progression and achieving deeper understanding.

• Data from a digital footprint could be used by other generative AI tools and platforms.

• The wellbeing of students may be harmed if data is inappropriately used.

• Historical learning data may be used for career suggestions, possibly limiting options based on old data.

• The e-safety Commissioner has released the following guide in support of managing risks and protecting data. For more information about the potential risks and ways to minimise these, follow the links below:

  • E-Safety Guide - providing information on various tools and apps regularly used.

  • E-Safety Commissioner Position Statement

A young student engages with an AI-powered careers guidance tool and inputs that they’re interested in fashion, dislike public speaking, and feel overwhelmed in maths. That data is recorded and stored as part of their learner profile. Years later, when using a different AI-enhanced platform in high school, the system draws on this historical data to recommend design-focused careers and avoid pathways involving STEM or leadership. The student never realises their earlier responses — made at a time of insecurity or uncertainty — are still shaping the algorithm’s assumptions about their future. This illustrates how digital footprints can follow learners across systems and years, affecting their opportunities without transparent oversight or the ability to revise outdated self-representations.