Pew Internet & American Life Project has recently released a research report on digital footprints. The findings indicate that most Internet users are not concerned about their personal information being available online. Some highlights:
 

• Internet users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint; 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago.
• Few monitor their online presence with great regularity.
• Most internet users are not concerned about the amount of information available about them online, and most do not take steps to limit that information.
• Internet users have reason to be uncertain about the availability of personal data; 60% of those who search for their names actually find information about themselves online, but 38% say their searches come up short.
• Among adults who create social networking profiles, transparency is the norm.
• More than half of all adult internet users have used a search engine to follow others’ footprints.

 
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/229/report_display.asp
 
Fang-Yu Lin