Max out your social media and privacy
Privacy settings allow users to determine who can see their profile. On social networking sites. Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter. They are powerful tools in helping to protect your teen’s social media and privacy. This includes videos and pictures.
Most social networking sites offer a default privacy setting. Younger users usually started on private. Whereas adults begin to public. The default setting helps protect users. As may not fully understand the risks of sharing information online with people they don’t know. On some sites, users who are changing their default setting from private to the public are presented with safety messaging alerting them to the risks of making their profile public. This messaging helps them to make an informed decision.
In addition to privacy settings, social networking sites provide communication settings. Communication settings let users determine who can send them messages or post comments on the site.
Be careful about third-party apps!
There are hundreds of third-party apps on social networks and smartphones. They transmit detailed personal information to the companies that make them. You may enjoy playing with some of the apps, but it is best to maintain privacy control and use them judiciously. Allowing companies to access your Twitter and Facebook accounts. What you do when you download an app, could also result in personal data being shared – not just for advertising, but even to your healthcare company.
Resist accepting ALL friend and follower requests.
Starting out on a social network, it’s tempting to accept every friend or follow request that you receive. Twitter specifically, if you don’t have your tweets protected, anyone will be able to follow you and see your updates. The basic rule is to only accept requests from friends and family. This will help avoid strangers having access to your profile. Becoming a victim to social status jacking.
Max out your social media and privacy
Set your privacy settings to maximum level on social networks. You will have more control over who can and cannot post on your wall or follow you. As well as more control over whether others can get to your personal information. But don’t stop with that one privacy setting. This is not set-and-forget! Social networks are regularly changing their offerings and their privacy settings, and they’re not always keeping your privacy front of mind. Set reminders to often assess your privacy settings on social networks.
Here’s a video from Loving Social Media on how to change your Facebook Privacy Settings:
Resources for Parents:
ConnectSafely.org is a new resource that outlines basic guidelines for teens’ safe blogging and social networking.
OnGuard Online provides good advice on safe social networking.
For parents, there’s the new Connect Safely Forum. Post your concerns and ask other parents questions about their experiences with social media — many other parents share your concerns and may have insight for you. if you are worried about your child’s online socializing and media uploading.
New social media policy lets NYPD cops troll Facebook under fake names!
Initially reported by NY Daily News, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has issued a memo that essentially allows officers to register fake accounts on social media sites, so long as they do so using a department-issued laptop and wireless card (which can’t be traced back to the department).
Monitoring social media and privacy has recently led to successful arrests, including the recent changes against some 49 gang members, who were caught bragging about murders on Facebook. Extreme cases aside, it’s uncomfortable to think that a police officer could pose as teens, students, or co-workers, friending or following unsuspecting citizens during investigations. Of course, users have to approve who they friend on Facebook and can adjust privacy settings as they wish. However, Facebook’s open nature doesn’t exactly encourage complete privacy.
According to NY Daily News associate legal director for the NY Civil Liberties Union “police work on the Internet is ripe for abuse.” Given that this is new territory, it is likely that lines will be crossed as limitations are defined.
As for Facebook’s stance, a spokeswoman reportedly told NY Daily News that users are only allowed to register under real names, but can later identify themselves under “pseudonyms.” How that rule will be changed is a different story, because it looks like this new policy is here to stay.
What we need to know about social media and privacy settings in 2023
There are a few key things that you should know about social media and privacy settings in 2023:
- Your privacy settings are not always set to the most private by default: It is important to review and adjust your privacy settings to ensure that you are comfortable with the level of privacy that you have chosen.
- Different social media platforms have different privacy settings: Each social media platform has its own set of privacy settings, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the specific settings on the platforms that you use.
- You have control over what you share: You have the ability to choose what you share on social media, so be selective about the information that you make public. Personal information such as your home address, phone number, and date of birth should be kept private.
- Your social media activity can be used to target you with ads: Your social media activity, including the pages and accounts that you follow, can be used to target you with ads. This is something to be aware of if you are concerned about your privacy.
- You should use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication: Using strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication can help to protect your accounts from being hacked.
Overall, it is important to be aware of and understand your social media privacy settings in order to protect your personal information and keep your accounts secure.