This is something that you need to be aware of — especially as a frequent user of social media — so that you can protect yourself. On that note, here are all such privacy concerns that every cautious user must know!
Our publicly available data like name, number, email ID, and our current location are owned by social media websites.
Our publicly available data like name, number, email ID, and our current location are owned by social media websites. They have the authority to use this data as they wish. They can sell it to corporations; they can use it as they see fit without any legal obligation or consequences.
Beware of social media impersonation
Social media is a good place to meet new people, but do you know if the person you have been talking with really is who they say they are? Social media impersonation is one of the top threats to privacy on social media platforms. The sad part? Most people don’t even know what is social impersonation! This happens when someone creates a fake profile of another person using their name, photos, and personal information. This can be done for many reasons, such as cyberbullying or committing identity theft. Also called catfishing, this kind of threat can be very dangerous if you share private information thinking you are talking with a friend or family member.
To keep your social media profiles safe from impersonators:
Don’t share personal information like your full name, phone number, address, or email address on social media platforms. If you need to share this information online, use an encrypted email service like ProtonMail that protects users’ privacy by default.
Set up two-factor authentication for your social media accounts and make sure you choose the strongest type of verification available (e.g., Google Authenticator instead of SMS). A hacker may not be able to access your account without entering the verification code sent to your mobile device. There are actually plenty of ways to ensure mobile security for Android phones. Some software companies even offer packages (like a set of solutions to your problems) that help users feel secure and also save their time.
Your friends may be the reason why you are getting hacked.
It is not uncommon to get friend requests from people who seem to have something in common with you but who, in reality, you do not know. This is how hackers gain access to your account. If a hacker wants to get into your account, they will create an imposter profile and wait for you to accept their request. Once you accept their request, they can access a lot of your personal information like phone number, address, and date of birth. The hacker can use this information to guess your password or, worse yet, reset it by answering the secret question. They can also use this information for identity theft.
Be careful with your third-party apps.
Many of us use third-party apps like Hootsuite and Buffer to help manage our social media accounts. Some sites, like Facebook, give third-party apps access to your personal information and activity — including your name, profile picture, age range, gender, networks, and posts. It’s important to know that some third-party apps can be malicious or contain malware. Make sure you know what the app is going to do with your data before you give it access. If you don’t trust the app, don’t install it. Fortunately, most social media platforms have an option for you to view which apps are connected to your account. You can also remove access to any apps that you don’t want or need anymore.
Geotagging Facebook and Instagram posts is not a good idea
If you have an Instagram account and you are sharing your photos with friends and followers, your posts are public by default. This means people can see your posts, including photos, videos, location, and comments. The way Instagram works is that you can set your profile to private if you don’t want the entire world to see your posts. But if you want your friends and family to see them, then the default setting is fine. Geotagging is a way of adding a location tag in your posts by using geotagging features on the phone or camera app as well as social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. So, when you post a photo on Instagram and geotag it with your location, anyone can see where you took the photo or video. Facebook also allows users to turn off geotagging when they upload a photo or video to their timeline or news feed. The social media giant has privacy settings available which users can use to make all their photos private so that only friends can view them. Don’t be afraid. You don’t necessarily have to delete your Instagram account if you find this scary. Just be a little careful with your activities and know that oversharing may not be the best idea.
In Conclusion
Today social media is the platform where people can interact in the most effective way and share information as well. As a worldwide network of friends and acquaintances, Facebook alone has more than 1.47 billion monthly active users, Twitter has more than 319 million, Instagram has more than 400 million and LinkedIn has more than 313 million. And don’t forget all the other social media platforms with hundreds of millions such as Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, etc! But despite the large number of users and users growing rate around the world, social media privacy is a big concern for many people and companies. Privacy concerns are increasing which means that there is a need to explain what you should be mindful of when using social media and how to take care of your data at the same time.
