Your online privacy and security should be the most important thing on your mind when using social media. If you neglect these, there is a high chance that you will face the consequences and could become a victim of a scam, phishing attempt, or data breach. Our team at Protect My Privacy have outlined what security and privacy mean for you, and how you can be affected!

It goes without saying but be careful what you post on social media. You are broadcasting this to everyone, including friends, family, colleagues, and people you may not even know!

Posts including travel plans, location data and personal information can reach someone who you do not want to access this information. This information can be used against you, and heavily impact your life. This can range from knowing when you are out of the house, to using your personal information to get access to your accounts.

Your activity on social media is not the only thing that is tracked. Many people do not realise that sites such as Facebook also track your entire web activity! 

Facebook has partnerships with a wide array of sites and sources that store your information and it is always gathering more and more data. As a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2018, Facebook has had to introduce an off-Facebook activity tool which serves as a dangerous reminder of just how much we are all tracked online.

The tracker will show you 180 days’ worth of the data Facebook collects about you from the many organisations and advertisers it has deals with. But what does Facebook do with this data?

Do you want all your online activity to be known by Facebook? How do you feel about them and other Big Techs all trying to monetise from your online activity? Just think about some of your recent searches online and whether you’d be happy for them to be openly shared…

The key to remaining safe online will be hidden in your security and privacy settings. Here are Protect My Privacy’s top tips for staying safe!

• Set your privacy settings to “Friend Only”: This ensures that only people that you have allowed access to your profile can view the content that you publish and share.
• Monitor the images that you have been tagged in: Make sure you check any images that you have been tagged in on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram so you can remove the tag from these photos if you do not want to be associated with them.
• Remain cautious about what you post: As mentioned previously, be careful about the content that you are sharing on your social media platforms. By sharing personal information, someone may use this against you and track you when you are out of the house for example.
• Be careful who you add: A common method used to scam and hack people is through friend requests from spam accounts. Make sure you only add people that you know, as adding accounts that you don’t recognise can put your account at risk.
• Use an external platform to check for data breaches: Even if you feel like you are remaining as safe and secure as possible online, it is a good idea to check if your data has been compromised. By using a service such as Protect My Privacy, you can check if your data has been breached.

If you don’t take control of your online privacy and security, you are at risk of a data breach. Download the Protect My Privacy app today and take control of your data!