Identity & Accounts
Profiles, usernames, account recovery, deletion, exports and the traces that make up an online identity.
Who are you online?
Each page answers one durable question, then points to the neighboring layer so you can understand the system rather than collect disconnected definitions.
Digital Footprint
The traces connected to a person’s activity across accounts, posts, devices, searches, transactions and other online interactions.
Understand it →identity conceptOnline Identity
The collection of names, profiles, accounts, credentials and social signals through which a person is represented online.
Understand it →identity elementUsername
A label used to identify an account or profile within a service, sometimes public and sometimes only part of the sign-in process.
Understand it →identity elementProfile Picture
A visual identity marker attached to a profile, account or presence across a digital service.
Understand it →account settingPublic vs Private Account
A visibility choice that changes who can directly see an account’s posts or profile activity, without necessarily changing what the platform itself can process.
Understand it →security processAccount Recovery
The fallback process used to regain access when a normal sign-in method is unavailable, lost or compromised.
Understand it →account actionSigning Out
Ending the active authenticated session on a device or browser without deleting the account itself.
Understand it →account actionDeactivating an Account
Temporarily disabling or hiding an account when a service offers a reversible alternative to deletion.
Understand it →account actionDeleting an Account
Permanently requesting removal of an account relationship and some or all associated service data, subject to the provider’s rules and legal obligations.
Understand it →account stateInactive Account
An account that still exists but has not been used for a long period, often subject to service-specific retention or inactivity policies.
Understand it →identity conceptOld Posts and Digital History
Older content that remains searchable, shareable or recoverable long after the context in which it was created has changed.
Understand it →account capabilityData Export
A tool for downloading or transferring a copy of data associated with an account or service.
Understand it →digital-rights conceptData Portability
The ability to take useful data from one service and move or reuse it elsewhere instead of leaving it trapped in one platform.
Understand it →