The people of Maenan barely knew Danny Stephen Webb. People move to the Welsh village to enjoy a quiet life. Local resident David Meet says: "I wouldn't have known him if I fell over him in the street."

Yet now Webb has become the most famous man in Maenan. Last week, the FBI swooped in and arrested him.

Webb was the pseudonymA false name used to protect a person's identity. of Daniel Andreas San Diego, a fugitiveA person who is running away or hiding from the police or a dangerous situation. for 21 years. He was an American man, on the run for involvement in two bombings in 2003. The FBI describes him as "an animal rights extremist" and a "terroristUsing violence or the threat of violence to create fear among a wide group of people. ". They offered $250,000 (£199,000) for information leading to his arrest.

San Diego was on the FBI's Most Wanted list. This includes a whole host of fugitives who have managed to disappear.

Disappearing requires constant vigilance. All it takes is a single slip-up. Neighbours think San Diego was caught because he bought a house.

It also demands leaving everyone and everywhere you have ever known, and living without many modern conveniences. We provide a data footprint every time we use a digital device. If we pay for something using a card the bank logs our details. Our phones track where we have been.

There are cameras everywhere. In London, you are likely to be captured on CCTVShort for closed circuit television. Video camera used to monitor areas for security. up to 70 times a day.¹ There is a high chance that you will appear in the background of a phone snapshot or TikTok.

Yet disappearance might still be possible. San Diego was actively being sought. He was in Britain, one of the countries where digital technology is used the most. But if you move somewhere very remote and far from those after you, you might get away with it.

Is it possible to hide today?

Yes: San Diego managed 21 years before he was caught, despite living in the UK, and only slipped up towards the end. Someone with enough cunning could do the same or better.

No: In George Orwell's book 1984, an all-seeing Big Brother watches people's every move. Through digital technology, we have created our own far more powerful version. There is no escape.

Or... It depends on what you are hiding from. If you are an internationally wanted criminal, it might be almost impossible. But if you are simply seeking to vanish from your daily life, it might be easier.