How To Protect Yourself on Social Media

1. Think before you post.

Are you posting something you didn’t mean to, like geotagging your photo, or is there sensitive or identifying information in the background of a photo?

2. Adjust those privacy settings.

We all know that social networks love us to share everything with everyone – that’s why Facebook’s privacy settings are so complicated, but these settings are there for a reason. Make sure that you only post to people you want to see your post. Cull “friends” that you don’t know. This is really important on Facebook which is a network where you are actively encouraged to overshare.

3. Prevent Search Engine Indexing.

If you want to stop your Pinterest account from showing up in search results alongside your LinkedIn, then head into the settings and disable Search Engine Indexing. Most of the major social networks have this option.

4. Go Private.

Think about if you really need your Instagram and Twitter accounts to be public.

5. Think if you need to post.

Just because the option to post is there, doesn’t mean you have to. This not only prevents you from oversharing publicly but can also help you create a better relationship with technology.