A truly secure computer is the one that’s plugged off. You may have come across a variation of this quote. But In today’s connected world, it can be hard to stay logged off, largely due to the exorbitant influence social media has on our lives. It needs to be said – social media and privacy don’t go together at all. There are so many social media privacy issues that people are unaware of.

If you want to know how you can protect your identity on social media, read on.

Here are the top six things you should do to lay out the importance of privacy of social media.

1. Don’t share too much of your personal information. Especially on social media.

It doesn’t matter if you have set your profile for friends only, here are a few things you should never add for public display:

• Home Address
• Financial details
• Personal email address
• Phone number
• Exact location data
• Images of children you know
• Traveling information

2. Don’t authorize every app

It is common to see people using third-party apps on your social media profile. These could be games, scheduling post apps, and more.

Its time to say no to such apps. Chances are any of those apps could mine data out of you, even your personal information.

Follow these rules:

• Only use apps by reputed developers.
• Say no to quizzes that ask you to login to social media.
• Check the permissions that an app requests. Block any that look out of place.
• Don’t use apps which promise some secret or hidden functions.

3. Avoid adding too many friends, especially ones you barely know

Look, its easy to add people on social media, but are you aware that this can result in serious privacy issues?

You could fall victim to scammers and fake accounts, which use data from your social media profile to appear genuine to you.

Avoid ‘friending’ people, especially total strangers, from your social media profile.

4. Beware of social media hackers

Hackers can send malware links, expose you to catfishing scams, and use your accounts to take over other connected accounts.

To avoid the risk of getting hacked, do these things:

• Don’t use one password for multiple services.
• Don’t click on random links, especially those sent through your inbox.

5. Keep a lookout for changes to Terms of Service

Social media platforms are not your friends. They keep changing the rules and Terms of Service all the time. This is due to their ever-evolving business structures.

Facebook shares your user data with every company that it acquires. And so on.

Here’s what social network issues you need to look out for:

• Review your social account privacy settings periodically. See what data is being shared and what you can do about it.
• You could always switch to a more privacy-centric service if need be.

6. Restrict your data with a VPN

You might not be able to prevent a data breach at a social media company. But what you can do is restrict social media firms from collecting every bit of data about you.

To do this, consider investing in a virtual private network (VPN). They enable you to change your geographical location and anonymize your online activities, preventing these platforms from profiling you completely.

These are some of the pressing social media privacy issues people face nowadays online. Use the tips outlined in this social media privacy guide to ensure that your data isn’t free for all, and that those social platforms don’t abuse it.

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