How To Keep Your Privacy Safe On Social Media

Were you worried that your data could fall into the hands of hackers, scammers, or companies that use it for unethical purposes? If so, the first step is to reconsider how you use the network and what you share. Discover how to keep your privacy safe on social networks.

Do you know who sees your information?

More and more people post personal information on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or any other social network. This is a magnet for “gossip,” inside and outside the circles of contacts, and for cyber criminals.

Fortunately, there is increasing awareness about the importance of protecting network privacy, especially considering that technology advances quickly. With it, we not only have new ways to communicate, inform ourselves and entertain ourselves, but it also facilitates cyber attacks.

Protect yourself online

Social networks expose us to risks and threats to our security and reputation. Therefore, it is essential to know how to act so that our data is not compromised or exposed without our consent.

Check the privacy settings of your accounts.

All social networks have options to configure who can see your profile, publications, photos, contacts, information, etc. Ensure you only share what you want with the people you want to prevent strangers or third parties from using your data for malicious purposes.

For example, among other options:

• On Facebook, you can adjust the privacy of each post to limit it to certain people.
• On Instagram, you can use your ” Best Friends ” list.
• You can activate the “Circle” option on Twitter so that only selected people read your posts.
• On LinkedIn, you can configure which elements of your profile (photo, location, contact…) will be seen by those in your network, who are not, and even people outside the platform.

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Use strong and different passwords for each account

A strong password is at least eight characters long, combines upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols, and does not contain common words or personal data.

In addition, it is recommended that you use a different password for each social network and that you change them periodically. So, if someone gets access to one of your accounts, they won’t be able to access the others.

Do not accept friend requests or messages from strangers

While it may seem tempting to expand your circle of contacts on social media, keep an eye on how your network grows. Some people create fake profiles or impersonate others to obtain personal information, deceive, extort, or harass their victims.

Before accepting a friend request or replying to a message, check the identity and integrity of the sender.

Do not post or share sensitive information

You never know who can access what you post or what use they can make of it. Therefore, avoid publishing or sharing information that may affect your security, reputation or privacy: address, telephone number, location, bank details, etc.

For example, don’t post photos of your ID or credit card, don’t share your location when you’re away from home or on vacation or upload compromising photos that could damage your professional or personal image.

Do not click on suspicious links

Some messages or posts may contain links or files that promise irresistible offers, shocking news or exclusive content. However, many are scams to infect your device with viruses or malware, steal your personal information, or redirect you to fraudulent websites.

Before you click or download something, make sure it comes from a trusted source and doesn’t look weird or malicious, and don’t enter your details on websites that don’t have HTTPS or a lock icon in the address bar.

Make your profiles private

Instagram, Facebook and many other social networks can be an open door to your personal life through which anyone can enter. Therefore, ensure you can and know how to shield your content whenever you want and periodically check who is in your networks.

Learn how to set your profiles as private in case you need it anytime. This way, only the people you authorize will see your content, preventing prying eyes from contacts not on your list.

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