How You Can Protect Your Privacy on Social Networks.
In our age, social media is an everyday yet risky thing for identity theft is one common danger lurking in the wave of applications. In reality an opportunity always comes with some risk.
Therefore, it's especially necessary today to learn how best to protect yourself against these dangers and ensure your own personal safety in our digital future.
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How You Can Protect Your Privacy on Social Networks? |
This guide gives you five, easy things you can do right now to help stop the trackers and keep your personal data more secure. In addition, just having an understanding of their practices may help save you from being one day shocked or suddenly exposed publicly without any kind of warning whatsoever.
Why Your Privacy Matters
Data misuse and profiling: social media platforms maintain extensive databases filled with personal information, your interests, location and even habits.
Such data can be distributed or utilized other than for its intended purpose. epic.org +2 Information Commissioner's Office +2 Risk of identity theft or impersonation: Someone who gets hold of your data or accounts can misuse them.
University IT +2 security-guidance.service.justice.gov.uk +2 Digital reputation is permanent: Every word you share, even if a moment's thought has been put into it, could later be screenshotted, archived or simply raked up again. It's not easy to erase your entire Internet history. Data Privacy Manager +1 Key Strategies to Protect Your Privacy
The following best practices and settings are all steps you can take to make your social media presence more private and safer. They are appropriate for most platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter X, etc.)
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who can see my posts, who can add me on their friend list, etc. who can see my posts, who can add me on their friend list, etc |
This can drag out your private data against your will |
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A password manager makes it easier to manage your passwords and ensures they are complex and unique.
This way you are adding layers of protection so if one password leaks, the others don’t. NI Cyber Security Centre +2 McAfee +2
Regular inspection is needed for visible personal details like date of birth, phone number and address. Default settings are often public by default. This can drag out your private data against your will! ICOW +2 University IT +2 Third-party Apps & Permissions • See which apps are using your account, and remove any that aren't needed or don't trust.
• On location privacy settings, limit permissions to give them what they really need (contacts, location, photographs taken with your camera or video recordings).
• Be careful with quizzes or games that say "log in via Facebook/Twitter" - You might not realize how much data they are collecting about you once you're logged in! Third-party apps are a major source of leaking or over-sharing data. McAfee +2 University IT +2 Think Before You Post
• Don't post sensitive information (home address, phone number, financial information).
• Turn off your phone's geotagging function.
• Be careful what moments of personal life you wish to share.
• Think about whether something might harm your future prospects (job interviews, relationships etc).
Even if you delete a post or message from the Internet, other archives or screenshots can make the escapade live again.
LSE +2 Privacy Officer +2 Make Sure Your Software & Devices Are Secure • Keep your apps, device OS and any security software updated.
• Secure your devices (PIN, pattern, fingerprint etc.) – they are harder for thieves to access once locked.
• Use only secure, personal networks (don't use public WiFi) for any sensitive logins unless through a VPN.
Not updating software and insecure devices can be broken into. Public WiFi is often as you know batting practice. infosec.ox.ac.uk +2 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs +2
Your friends/followers or contacts may on occasion need to be audited. Learn to remove people you no longer trust, or who simply don't make sense.
• Check your old posts, photos, tags, and so on and jettison whatever doesn't feel comfortable anymore.
• Delete or disable social network accounts that have fallen into disuse. Above all, restrict the coverage of old histories. LSE +1 Other Tips & Advanced Measures If you use a VPN to encrypt your connection every time you log on from public or shared networks, interceptors and ISPs will be in for nothing.
Data Privacy Manager +1 Intelligent reader alert for any logons you don't recognise, then if somebody tries to get in from another computer your own will light up.
UK Government Security - Beta +1 Use the new privacy-centered version of apps or browsers, a browser extension, or another software solution that blocks trackers, cookies, or ads. infosec.ox.ac.uk +1
Keep up with privacy laws in your location. For example, the UK Online Safety Act, or other regulations, might affect how platforms are required to store and secure user data.
On social media sites, protecting your privacy isn't just a question of doing the right settings once.
A few simple habits--using strong passwords, not spreading yourself too thin, checking on app permissions, and reading up on updates, will help you avoid risk, make your data safer, and give you more control over the rest of your life.
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Protect your privacy on social media with strong passwords, good sharing habits, privacy settings, and more. Stay safe.