5 social media safety tips to protect your privacy online

Let's look it: Social media tin consciousness similar a minefield. Between oversharing idiosyncratic details, person requests from strangers and sneaky scams sliding into your DMs, it's casual to enactment yourself astatine hazard without realizing it. But staying harmless online doesn't person to beryllium complicated. With a fewer astute settings and habits, you tin bask societal media without giving distant much than you mean to.

Settings and menus connected societal media platforms tin alteration implicit clip and whitethorn alteration by instrumentality (iOS vs. Android vs. Web) oregon region. The steps beneath were close astatine the clip of publishing, but you whitethorn spot somewhat antithetic wording oregon paths depending connected updates, app mentation oregon mobile instrumentality manufacturer.

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HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL INFO FROM PEOPLE-SEARCH SITES

1) Turn disconnected Location Sharing

Many apps automatically tag your posts with your location. That tin fto strangers cognize your routines oregon adjacent your location address.

Scammers person a harder clip learning astir your beingness the little you stock online.    (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

How to crook disconnected Location Sharing

On iPhone

• Go to Settings.
• Click Privacy & Security.
• Tap Location Services.
• Then prime the app.
• Set it to "Never" oregon "While Using the App."

On Android

(Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer.)

• Go to Settings.
• Tap Location.
• Click App permissions.
• Then prime the app and toggle location off or select Don't allow.

Note: Some apps whitethorn inactive person support for "While utilizing the app" oregon "Only this time." So, you should cheque each app individually, particularly camera and social-media apps, for determination permissions.

Pro tip: Even turning disconnected determination for conscionable your camera app helps support photos from carrying hidden determination data.

META TO ALLOW TEENS' PARENTS TO DISABLE PRIVATE CHATS WITH AI AFTER BACKLASH OVER FLIRTY CHATBOTS

Parents — and adjacent immoderate teens — are increasing progressively acrophobic astir the effects of societal media usage connected young people. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

2) Use a backstage account

A backstage relationship means lone radical you o.k. tin spot your posts and photos. Think of it similar putting a fastener connected your beforehand door.

How to acceptable backstage accounts

Facebook

• Go to Settings & Privacy.
• Tap Settings.
• Scroll to the Audience & Visibility (or Your Activity) section.
• Click Posts.
• Find "Who tin spot your aboriginal posts?" and acceptable it to Friends.

Instagram

• Tap your profile.
• Tap the menu (☰).
• Tap Account Privacy.
• Toggle on Private account.

TikTok

• Go to your Profile.
• Tap the paper (☰).
• Select Settings and privacy.
• Tap Privacy.
• Toggle on Private account.

X (formerly Twitter)

• Click connected your profile icon successful the apical near of the screen.
• Open Settings and privacy.
• Select Privacy and safety.
• Tap Audience and tagging.
• Toggle Protect your posts (or Protect your Tweets).
• Once enabled, only approved followers tin spot your posts.

Snapchat

• Open Settings (gear icon).
• Scroll to Privacy Controls.
• Under "Who Can," set options like Contact Me, View My Story and See Me successful Quick Add to Friends only.

YouTube

• Go to your YouTube Studio (desktop oregon mobile app).
• When uploading, acceptable visibility to Private oregon Unlisted.
• For existing videos, unfastened the video's settings and change visibility arsenic needed.

Note: Entire channels cannot beryllium made private, lone idiosyncratic videos.

LinkedIn

• Tap your profile photo
• Settings.
• Go to Visibility.
• Under Profile viewing options, select Private mode.
• You tin besides power who sees your connections and enactment nether "Visibility of your LinkedIn activity."

Identity theft has go truthful commonplace that it nary longer shocks you to perceive astir the latest scam. (Cyberguy.com)

3) Report suspicious accounts

Fake profiles are everywhere. Scammers whitethorn airs arsenic friends, celebrities oregon adjacent lawsuit work reps. Reporting them helps support you (and others) safe.

How to study an account

Facebook

• Go to the fake oregon impersonating profile.
• Tap the three-dot menu (Options).
• Select Find support or report profile.
• Choose a reason, specified arsenic pretending to beryllium idiosyncratic else.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to taxable the report.

Instagram

• Go to the profile.
• Tap the three-dot menu.
• Select Report.
• Choose a reason.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to implicit the report.

TikTok

• Open the profile.
• Tap the three-dot menu (or sometimes the Share icon).
• Select Report.
• Choose Report account.
• Select the reason.
• Submit the report.

X (formerly Twitter)

• Go to the account profile.
• Tap the three-dot or overflow icon.
• Select Report.
• Choose the benignant of issue.
• If you're reporting an full illustration alternatively than a azygous post, select Report @username from the illustration page.

YouTube

• Go to the channel page.
• Tap the About tab (on desktop) oregon the three-dot menu (on mobile).
• Select Report.
• Choose the reason.
• Submit the report.

Snapchat

• Go to the user's profile.
• Tap the three-dot menu or gear icon.
• Select Report.
• Choose the reason.
• Submit the report.

LinkedIn

• Visit the fake oregon suspicious profile.
• Tap the More button (or three dots).
• Select Report abuse.
• Select a reason and follow the prompts.

Pro tip: Don't conscionable block. Report alerts to the level truthful they tin region the relationship for everyone.

With a fewer astute settings and habits, you tin bask societal media without giving distant much than you mean to. (Thai Liang Lim/Getty Images)

4) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Even if idiosyncratic steals your password, 2FA makes it harder for them to interruption in. It adds an other step, similar a codification texted to your phone.

How to alteration two-factor authentication (2FA)

Facebook

• Go to the menu and select Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
• Tap Accounts Center.
• Then click Password and Security.
• Tap Two-factor authentication.
• It whitethorn inquire you to choose an relationship to acceptable up two-factor authentication. 
• Choose your preferred method, specified arsenic an authentication app, substance connection oregon information cardinal and travel the on-screen instructions.

Instagram

• Go to your profile and open Settings.
• Click Accounts Center. 
• Select Password and Security.
• Then Two-Factor Authentication.
• It whitethorn inquire you to choose an relationship to acceptable up two-factor authentication. 
• Choose your preferred method, specified arsenic an authentication app, substance connection oregon information cardinal and travel the on-screen instructions.

TikTok

• Go to your Profile.
• Then open the Menu.
• Select Settings and privacy.
• Then, Security and permissions.
• Tap 2-step verification.
• Choose 1 oregon more verification methods, specified arsenic substance message, email oregon an authentication app.
• Click Turn On. 
• Follow the prompts to decorativeness setup.

X (formerly Twitter)

• Click connected your profile connected the precocious near of the screen.
• Open Settings and privacy.
• Select Security and relationship access, then Security.
• Tap Two-factor authentication.
• Choose your preferred method, specified arsenic substance message, authentication app oregon information key.
• Follow the steps to crook it on.

Note: Text connection (SMS) verification connected X whitethorn lone beryllium disposable for paid (Premium) users oregon successful definite regions. If SMS isn't available, you tin inactive usage an authentication app oregon a carnal information cardinal for two-factor authentication.

Pro tip: Use an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator oregon Authy) alternatively of substance messages for stronger protection.

5) Check your photos earlier posting

Your photos whitethorn uncover much than you deliberation — location numbers, car licence plates oregon adjacent abrogation details that awesome you're distant from home.

Quick fixes earlier posting

• Crop oregon blur backgrounds that amusement idiosyncratic details.
• Avoid posting successful existent time portion traveling. Wait until you're back.
• Review aged posts to marque definite you're not unintentionally sharing backstage info.

SOCIAL MEDIA VERIFICATION SYSTEMS LOSE POWER AS SCAMMERS PURCHASE CHECKMARKS TO APPEAR LEGITIMATE

Bonus tip: Keep idiosyncratic info nether wraps

Every clip you post, stock oregon remark online, you're leaving tiny clues astir your life, and scammers are large astatine putting those pieces together. The little accusation fraudsters tin find astir you, the weaker their scams become.

Many impersonators usage nationalist details similar your hometown, workplace oregon household connections to physique fake profiles that look trustworthy. Even accusation similar your email code oregon telephone fig tin beryllium exploited if it's floating astir the internet.

A idiosyncratic information removal work tin assistance trim that hazard by scrubbing your idiosyncratic details from radical hunt sites and information brokers. While nary solution is perfect, minimizing your integer footprint makes you a overmuch harder people for impersonation and social-engineering scams. These services actively show and systematically region your accusation from hundreds of sites, redeeming you clip and giving you bid of mind.

Protecting your privateness online isn't conscionable astir what you stock connected societal media; it's besides astir controlling what's retired determination already. Limiting that information means scammers can't easy cross-reference your accusation with information from breaches oregon the acheronian web.

Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a escaped scan to find retired if your idiosyncratic accusation is already retired connected the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.

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Kurt's cardinal takeaways

Staying harmless connected societal media isn't astir deleting your accounts; it's astir taking power of your information. Turning disconnected determination sharing keeps your whereabouts private. Switching to a backstage relationship gives you much accidental implicit who sees your posts. Being cautious with person requests and DMs helps you debar scams. And double-checking your photos earlier posting prevents oversharing. With conscionable a fewer speedy settings and habits, you tin bask societal media with bid of mind.

Have you ever spotted a scam oregon fake relationship online? Tell america what happened by penning to america at CyberGuy.com.

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Get my champion tech tips, urgent information alerts and exclusive deals delivered consecutive to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant entree to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — escaped erstwhile you articulation my CyberGuy.com newsletter.

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