According to Hootsuite and We Are Social’s The Global State of Digital 2022,58.4 percent of the global population uses social media (4.62 billion people).
Given the sheer amount of people on social media, most of the information you upload on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platform is seen by an unknown number of people – friends, family, and even strangers – if you do not protect your privacy.
When we talk about protecting your privacy, we mean protecting the personal information users only want to share with their closest friends and family. Therefore, it is essential to adjust your privacy settings on social media.
What Are the Risks of Not Protecting Your Privacy?
The primary risk that people with public accounts face is that once uploaded, their posts no longer belong to them; they become public domain, and any third party could use them. This could lead to identity theft, dissemination of personal information, hacking, grooming, or geolocating.
Additionally, your “digital footprint” is the trace you leave behind on the internet when you make, comment on, or even “like” a post. Your digital footprint could bring consequences in the future.
Here are some tips to protect your privacy and use the internet more responsibly:
- Keep your accounts private. Go to Settings > Privacy, then turn on the private mode so your content is only visible to those you grant permission.
- Only accept follow requests from people you know. When you set your profile as private, you can decide who follows you. Watch out for fake accounts.
- Do not engage with strangers nor share personal details such as passwords, addresses, etc.
- Your profile bio is public – even if your account is private – meaning anyone can see it. Avoid including your age, city, phone number, or school name.
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