10 tips to protecting your social media account privacy

 

Tips for protecting your social media privacy (Tips for protecting your social media privacy)

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat have become digital billboards for Internet users. People like to share their personal views and news that is going on in their lives.

But wait and think for a moment. This information - some of which is very personal - operates on the Internet. Outside your trusted circle of friends and relatives, who is watching what you are posting? Spam bots, vengeful acquaintances, and even cyber criminals may be interested. Recently, discussions related to privacy rights and social media sites have been the subject of widespread public and political debate, particularly in light of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

With this in mind, we have provided some tips and hints to help protect your privacy and provide a more rewarding experience to your social networking.

Read the terms of the social media site (Read the social media site’s terms)

In the 21st century, information can be a new form of valuable currency. You will not only give your bank account information, so why would you give up your privacy rights on social networking sites? When you sign up for a social media account, pay special attention to the information you are agreeing to share. As an example, according to Facebook, if a user wants to delete any photos and videos that they have previously shared on Facebook, those pictures will be removed from the site but can remain on Facebook's servers. And some content can be removed only if the user permanently deletes their account.

Before clicking "Accept", take the time to flip through the legal things contained in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. You may find that some terms are in the best interest of the platform, but may not be best for your privacy. Certain conditions may exceed your personal convenience limit. For example, some free sites may collect and sell related data for third party viewing for marketing purposes. Make sure your permission options are right for you.

Do not share personal information like your full name and address (referring share private information like your full name and address)

Keep your full name and address with you. The same advice applies to posting the full names of your children or grandchildren. As innocent as it may seem to share people's full names, you never know how a hunter or cybercriminal can use that information to their advantage. For example, by mailing your first name and last name, cyber criminals may be able to guess your email address, or purchase your email address from the Dark Web. With this information, they can send you a phishing email that could potentially cause them to inject malware and collect data from your devices.

Remind adolescents to adopt the same practices in their lives, as they may be more likely to share personal information. Your children cannot think of giving their name and address or other personal details upon entering the online contest.

Take care in posting photos on social media sites (Be careful about posting photos on social media sites)

Think twice about posting photos. Even if you don't explicitly post a child's name, you can reveal too much information about a harmless photo.

Consider the following scenario: You want to post a digital photo of your grandchildren in their new sports uniform at the big game. What's wrong with this, you ask? If the photo has a school name, either on the uniform or in the background, a stranger will not have much trouble tracking your grandson's location and identity. If you know this, consider blurring or cropping such revealing details. If not, this is probably not the best picture to share.

And what about a picture of your new expensive flat screen TV, or your family room full of goodies around the holidays? Advertising their whereabouts can make your home an attractive target for burglars. When in doubt, share your photos privately with a trusted person.

Adjust the social media platform's privacy settings

Each social media platform has a separate process for controlling privacy settings. Before sharing your posts or photos, always keep in mind who can see, react or comment.

Decide carefully whether you want your social media posts and pictures to be visible to everyone, friends only, or friends of friends when reviewing your privacy settings for each platform. You can also create a custom list for each post. Tagging friends can be great fun, but also an invasion of privacy. Also, you don't want to be tagged in something inappropriate. Always choose to review when someone tags you in a post before it is published. However, keep in mind, just because you cannot approve posts to be published on your social media page, it can still be publicly visible about them.

Know what types of personal data social media sites store and share (know what types of personal data social media sites store and share)

Upon signing up for the social media site, most users voluntarily provide their name, gender, date of birth and email address. Some social media sites do not stop at that. They go on to share, share or comment on other information such as an IP address or things you like. Sometimes you are given the option to use your Facebook credentials to log into other, third-party applications. While this may be convenient, you may inadvertently allow other apps to access your personal information more than necessary.

One way to ensure that you are not overseeing information is to always read the fine print. When modifying your privacy settings on any social media platform, look for the "Applications and Websites" option under "Settings". Review carefully which websites are using your information.

Consider carefully what personal details you provide in your profile (consider carefully what personal details you provide in your profile)

Social media and networking sites may ask for additional information when you sign in. You can often include your hometown, the schools you have attended and when, your current and former workplace, political affiliation and general interest. All this information can be stored and tracked.

As harmless as it may be, this information can be used to serve you advertisements and news items. Many sites may include permission to use in your friends list, personal preferences, and their terms of use.

Be aware of privacy concerns in the news, such as the Cambridge Analytica story (like the Cambridge Analytica story)

When the Cambridge Analytica scandal made headlines, people began to pay more attention to how fragile their online privacy is. Special efforts are required to navigate the privacy settings of any social media site so that a company has access to your personal information. This is not just for advertisers and data firms who are dying for your information; Identity thieves and cyber criminals also want access to your data or sell it on the dark web.

Avoid social media sites posting regret (Avoid social media site posting regrets)

It is possible that your employer, or a recruiter at the company to which you applied, may review your social media profile. If you are posting scenes that your company will not appreciate - such as talking about how much you hate your boss - then you want to get away from the keyboard. Once the information is there, it is like water: it finds a way to steer its course towards independence. Do not share what you share today to bring you back tomorrow.

Social media and networking sites can be a great way to stay connected with old friends and help you create new ones or do that big job. Just keep your privacy colors drawn to the appropriate level.

Address your online privacy concerns with Norton LifeLock (Address your online privacy concerns with Norton LifeLock)

There are other options to help keep your personal information online. The use of secure VPNs is a way to prevent companies from tracking your IP address and browsing history. Strong passwords and good cyber hygiene also go a long way.

If you are concerned about managing and controlling your online privacy, then think about setting up Norton Privacy Manager. Or, for multiple layers of security on 5 devices, Norton ™ 360 with LifeLock ™ includes Norton Secure VPN and parental controls, letting you know your children's or grandparents' online activity history and supervision features So that you can help them learn safely. Internet habits. After all, you can't send your full name and address online, but do they?