Look after your personal details

Learn how and why you should keep your details safe.

Introduction to 'Look after your personal details'

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to keep your personal details safe when you search, post and shop online.

What you'll learn

  • What personal data is and why it’s important.
  • How to protect your personal details.

How long it takes

4 minutes

What’s personal data?

Your personal data is every fact there is about you. It can come from official sources or informal chats. You might keep this information online, offline or a mix of both.

 

Let's look at some examples:

Personal details

Like your birthday, address, bank details and health records.

Your pictures

Photos and images you or others take of you.

Your videos

Videos you post, or other people’s videos that you’re in.

Personal habits

What you like – from your favourite food to the films you like to watch.

Personal goals

Such as: read more books, get fit, find a job.

Why should you keep your data safe?

It might seem obvious, but personal data is valuable and you need to protect it. For example, someone could use your bank details to steal your money.

 

People can use your data to:

Take out loans or credit cards in your name

With your personal details, they could pretend to be you and borrow money.

Find out where you live and when you're away

This could help someone plan a break-in or theft from your home.

Blackmail you

Someone could use sensitive information or photos of you to threaten you.

Steal money from your bank account

Access to your bank details could let them move or spend your money.

Check if you're the right person for a job

Employers might search your online details to learn more about you.

Show you targeted adverts

Companies can tailor ads based on your online activity and tempt you to buy things.

What's a digital footprint?

This is everything that you or others have posted about you online. It creates an online ‘picture’ of who you are.

For example, if a friend posts a picture of you online, ask yourself: Would I be happy for a future employer to see this? Sometimes, employers search your name online before hiring you, so always think before you post.

Before you post anything, ask yourself: How do I want people to see me  online?

It’s not just pictures either. It can be words and actions too. What you say and do online stays there, so anyone who searches hard enough can see it.

Check your privacy settings to make sure only the people you want to view your information can see it.

More on this topic

Want to learn more about keeping safe online? Check out our Get started with online safety lesson.

You can control your data

While there are risks with posting things online, you do have control over your data. Not just what you post and who your share it with. But also which companies have your data, and what they do with it.

When you share your data with a company:

  • They can use it to improve your experience with them.
  • They can remember what you like and how you prefer to hear from them.

 

Want to know what data a company has on you? You can usually ask them - privacy rules give you this right. You just need to write to the company and ask to see what data they have on you. This is a ‘subject access request’ (SAR). They usually have one month to reply. It’s generally free unless you ask for a large amount of information, or something that will take a long time to find.

When you share your data with a company:

  • They can use it to improve your experience with them.
  • They can remember what you like and how you prefer to hear from them.

Want to know what data a company has on you? You can usually ask them - privacy rules give you this right. You just need to write to the company and ask to see what data they have on you. This is a ‘subject access request’ (SAR). They usually have one month to reply. It’s generally free unless you ask for a large amount of information, or something that will take a long time to find.

More on this topic

If this is something you want to know more about, we recommend you take a look at the Information Commissioner's Office pages on accessing and deleting your data.

Sharing other people’s data

It’s not just about your own data. You have a duty to look after other people’s data too. You form part of their digital footprint, so always ask permission before you post someone’s pictures or share their posts.

 

Using other people’s documents

You also need to take care when you use other people’s work. You wouldn’t borrow or steal their things, so think before you share or use someone else’s files. People own their files, images and content as much as their other belongings.

Always ask permission to use something that’s not yours.

Test your knowledge

Try again - that's not quite right!

Remember, your digital footprint is everything you or others post about you online. Ask yourself: can other people use it?

Try again

That's right!

Not everyone who sees your information has good intentions. Be careful what you post and what you say.

Want to learn more?

Stay safe online

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Build your digital confidence

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Bank of Scotland Academy is committed to providing information in a way that is accessible and useful for our users. This information, however, is not in any way intended to amount to authority or advice on which reliance should be placed. You should seek professional advice as appropriate and required. Any sites, products or services named in this module are just examples of what's available. Bank of Scotland does not endorse the services they provide. The information in this module was last updated on 18th February 2026.

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