Social Media Privacy: Protecting Yourself Online

| Updated on July 27, 2024

Cyber threats and crimes have become so popular, that people have restricted themselves from openly sharing their views, and memories on digital platforms. However, social media is a great way to stay connected with your loved ones if used properly with all the precautionary measures. 

So to prevent losing your data to scammers, it is better to lock your devices, information, and even social media profiles. Read ahead to discover some tips to safeguard your privacy and security in the digital sphere. Also, learn about How Digital Signatures Safeguard Your Online Life by reading this article.

Is it Possible to Control Your Privacy on Social Media Platforms 

With the exponential growth in social networking sites, data leaks have become common in the last few years. For instance, the top-notch company, LinkedIn, has also suffered a hit by a huge data leak affecting 500 million users. Undergoing all these cases, it becomes crucial to protect your data at every cost. 

For those asking, is it possible to control your privacy over social media platforms? The answer is YES and a big thanks to the built-in platform features that align with your safety needs and want. The settings and privacy options may vary from platform to platform, all you need to navigate all the features and use them in the best possible ways. 

But is it strong enough? Accordingly, NO, you should not fully rely on the platform settings only. For further measures, we have listed some potential tips in the next section that you should follow to ensure high-tech safety and privacy.

Potential Tips to Safeguard Your Privacy on Social Media 

Social media can change your art of experience, but if not used responsibly, it also exposes you to the radar of scammers. This is a matter of concern, and to help you out on this, we have researched and listed some potential tips to follow for safe and better browsing. 

Personalize your Privacy Settings 

The first step after you log into your account should be to navigate the privacy settings. Review all the available features, options, and capabilities and adjust them to your comfort level. Adjusting a few of them restricts the access of your profile and its activity visibility.

Reconsider Before You Post 

After entering a safe environment, always reconsider your decision before posting any content. Your post reflects your personality, location, status and much more. Scammers can detect hidden things to use them in any unfair means. Remember, the deleted content may have some replicas or copies and contain sensitive information. So it is better to remain safe in advance.

Switch off Location Sharing 

You might have noticed that when you install or log in to social platforms, they ask you to enable access to your location. Although it is not necessary, many of us end up enabling that. For better security, consider disabling the location access and avoid sharing your current physical location and if it is important, tag it after you leave the place. 

Avoid Clickbait 

It is possible that you might get lured by the post and links showcasing “Tap to Avail Surprise”. This clickbait which is seen in the form of a shortened URL redirects you to other third-party apps or platforms and extracts your confidential or private data before you suspect anything unethical. No social media platform supports third-party clickbaits and links. 

Report Harassment and Inappropriate Content

Under any circumstances, if you come across any inappropriate content that surpasses the community guidelines of the platform, report it immediately. Along with this, if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, or you find something suspicious while talking to someone, consider reporting that account to the concerned authority or the platform report and help page with valuable evidence at that moment. 

Stick to a Private Internet Connection 

Cases of identity thief and data leaks are reported due to the use of public networks and Wi-Fi connections. In that regard, update your device settings to not automatically join any unauthorized nearby network until your approval. Limit your social media usage to your private internet or known connections. Leverage extra security by installing USA VPN on your devices. 

Ensure Strong and Authenticated Passwords 

Now, this is one of the prime tips that should be one of your daily habits. Regardless of your personal or professional sphere, getting habitual to setting strong and unexposed passwords tightens the security of your accounts. Along with this, practice two-factor authentication wherever possible so that you can remain aware of unrecognized access. 

Restrict Third Party Access 

When redirecting to some other page, you unknowingly end up giving profile access to some external domain, which can expose you to some serious vulnerabilities. Linking the third-party apps can be helpful under some events, but revoking the access afterwards will upgrade your privacy settings

Read out the Privacy Policy and Terms 

Every website and platform has some set of privacy terms and policies laid down in their guidelines sections. Before creating an account on any social media site, pay strict attention to these regulations and agree to them if they align with your demands and expectations. 

Think Before Adding Someone

Lastly, when it comes to adding friends or followers, think twice and ask yourself whether you trust them or do you know them. Enriching your profile with some random stalkers and strangers can be a threat to the information you have shared or planning to. So follow quality over quantity and be cautious while navigating your friend request list. 

That all! Embrace all these tips in your daily routine and seamlessly enjoy your browsing experience. 

Conclusion: Assure your Online Safety

In the end, your safety and security lies in your hands. Adhering to the aforementioned tips and making a routine of checking your profile privacy settings, comments, and DM’s will help you to understand what’s happening in your background. So take preventive action for your social media accounts before it gets too late.

FAQ

What are some common risks of social media?

Some common risks associated with social media platforms are cyberbullying, identity theft, invasion of sensitive data and more. 

Why is social media privacy important?

With the large amount of data people share on digital platforms for personal or professional purposes, protecting privacy to lose them to scammers is crucial. 

Can I use a VPN to ensure social media privacy?

Installing and enabling a VPN on your devices hides your search history from the anonymous watching eyes from getting tracked or hampered. 





Priyam Ghosh

Tech and Internet Writer


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