Digital footprint
Digital footprint tracing: phone, email, username and social media in one enquiry
On a stale file the strongest identifier is often not the name. It is the mobile number that has followed the subject through three addresses, or the email they have used since 2011.
The problem this answers
Register data is only as good as the last time the subject filed something. Someone who has never owned property, never directed a company and never taken credit leaves very little behind on the official record.
The identifiers they do carry are digital: a mobile number, an email address, a username reused across platforms. Working those by hand means an afternoon of manual searching with nothing recorded about what was done.
What the search returns
- Accounts and platform registrations linked to a phone number, email address or username.
- Aliases and handle variants used across platforms, which is often what connects two records that looked unrelated.
- Publicly visible profile signals: display names, stated locations and linked contact points.
- Connections between identifiers, so a number found on one file can be tied to a name on another.
When it is used
- On a trace where the subject has no property, no company involvement and a thin credit footprint.
- To confirm that a phone number or email still belongs to the subject before it is used for contact.
- In fraud and claims work, where an identity presented on a file needs to be tested against the presence it claims to have.
- As corroboration, where a digital signal supports or contradicts an address found on the official record.
What it does not establish
- A linked account is not proof of identity. Two people share a name, and one person runs several accounts.
- It does not reach private or restricted content. Nothing here involves logging in as someone, requesting access under a false pretext, or circumventing a platform control.
- Presence on a platform says nothing about where a person currently lives.
The limits on the enquiry
- The enquiry covers publicly visible and lawfully obtained information only, collected in a manner that is fair and not unreasonably intrusive.
- Collection is limited to what the declared purpose requires. Material that is available but irrelevant to the purpose is not gathered because it happened to be there.
- No pretexting, no deceptive contact and no access to accounts. Where an enquiry would require any of that, it stops.
- Every search is logged against the user, the time and the declared authorised purpose.
The statutory position is set out in full on the compliance page.
Who may access it
- Verified account holders with a declarable authorised purpose.
- Role-based access allows an organisation to restrict digital footprint tracing to the staff whose work requires it.
How intelID consolidates the result
Digital footprint results return alongside credit, company, property, PPSR and insolvency records in the same result set, so a number found online can be read against the addresses on the official record.
The whole enquiry, including the digital footprint element, sits under one authorised-purpose declaration and one audit entry.
What you pay is the monthly subscription plus the searches you run, set out on the pricing page. Every integrated source and its legal basis is listed on the data sources page.
Questions about digital footprint
Is social media tracing legal in New Zealand?
Collecting publicly available information is lawful, and the Privacy Act 2020 regulates the manner of collection and the use made of it. The enquiry must be for a lawful purpose, the collection must be fair and not unreasonably intrusive, and only what the purpose needs should be collected.
Do you access private accounts or send connection requests?
No. There is no pretexting, no deceptive contact and no access to accounts or restricted content.
What identifiers can I search from?
A phone number, an email address, a username or a name with supporting detail. The strongest results usually come from a number or an email, because those persist across moves.
Is a digital footprint result enough on its own?
Treat it as corroboration. A digital signal that agrees with a licensed record is a strong indicator; one that stands alone is a lead to test, not a conclusion.
Request access to intelID
Tell us who you are and what you need to search, and we will set up your account. Verification is part of the process and usually straightforward. Most accounts are verified and issued within 2 business days.