Social media is a great way of staying connected with your loved ones and making new connections on the internet. We all love sharing our latest clicks, accomplishments, and opinions on social media, but we rarely think about the consequences related to it. Sharing your private moments and personal views with your friends feels great, but you are putting your information out there for everyone to see when you are doing it via social media.
In the past couple of years, the debate around social media and privacy has turned many heads, and people are becoming more aware of it. If your private information falls into the wrong hands, it could cause some serious damage which is why you must always avoid sharing sensitive information on social media. It is one of the major reasons why some people have stopped using social media in the recent past and have gotten rid of their social media profiles for good.
The answer to this conundrum doesn’t lie in deleting your social media accounts and staying away from the internet. These apps are an invention of the modern era, and they help us greatly by keeping us connected with each other. We need to change our ways of using social media so that we can make the best out of these apps without compromising our privacy.
In this article, I have mentioned five simple tips that will help you protect your privacy online. Let’s have a look:
Use a Secure Connection
Your privacy is not breached only when you share some sensitive information willingly. It can also be breached by a hacker when you are using an unsecured connection. It is strictly advised that you always use a secure internet connection while browsing social media profiles or uploading sensitive data.
You can improve your connection’s security by opting for a reliable internet provider that offers encrypted connections to all its customers. It will ensure that your connection is protected and won’t be breached by any hacker.
If you use shared networks or public WiFis often, then it is strictly recommended that you either avoid using them or connect with them through a VPN. Using a VPN allows you to mask your IP address and ensures no one breaches your connection or steals your private information. Your social media login passwords are at high risk and can get stolen when you are browsing them on a public network.
Always go Through the Privacy Settings
It doesn’t matter whether you are using Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter; every social media platform gives you access to privacy settings that allow you to control who is able to see your posts and what information you want to protect.
Many social media users don’t bother much with these privacy settings, but they are very important and can help you browse your social media profiles safely. By diving into privacy settings, you can control who sees your posts and who can make a comment on them.
It also helps you protect your profile details so not everyone will be able to see where you live or what school you went to. Such restrictions are necessary if you want to keep stalkers at bay.
By adjusting these settings, you can make your profile limited, ensuring that everything you share is protected and is only shared with your friends and family.
Learn About What Kind of Data Social Media Platforms Store
Protecting your privacy is not just about protecting your information from people on social media. It is also about protecting yourself from the social media platforms on which you are posting that information.
Most of us think social media platforms are free, but that is not the truth. We pay for these social media services with our data which the social media companies sell to advertisers. Most social media platforms strictly adhere to the rules and make sure that their data is taken anonymously and for advertising purposes only, but you still have to be careful with it.
It is also wise to go through the platform’s privacy policy to get a better idea of what kind of information they are collecting. Make sure there is nothing there that makes you uncomfortable.
Stay Off-The-Grid
One thing about social media that annoys most people is that it is always trying to keep track of your location.
Social media apps track their users’ location for several reasons, including data collection for advertisers so that they can create geo-targeted ads. They also keep track of your location to make sure you are notified about any interesting events happening around you.
It is recommended that you turn this feature off for your own safety because social media apps can post on your behalf and reveal your information to anyone connected to social media.
Avoid Posting Sensitive Information
It doesn’t matter how filtered your social media circle is; it is strictly advised that you avoid sharing sensitive or critical information openly.
From personal life to credit card information, you need to make sure that you are not sharing anything that can hurt you in the near future if it is viewed by people who weren’t supposed to see it. Just because you have limited friends on your profile doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t get leaked.
Conclusion
Social media platforms are fun, and they make our lives convenient by helping us stay connected. It is true that social media raises privacy concerns, but that doesn’t mean you need to quit them in order to protect your private information.
By following the above-mentioned tips, you can protect your private information while simultaneously enjoying the perks these social media apps offer.
