With the popularity of social media sites, it is probable that you have a profile on one or more of those sites. Social media sites are an excellent way to stay in touch with friends and family. Unfortunately, one of the main ways that social media sites stay free is by offering companies access to their main interest – you.

Your information is also important to others besides friends and family. It is also important to hackers, scammers, and identity thieves. It takes some time and effort to ensure your privacy on social media sites however, it can be done. Every social media site has security settings that you can control, limiting who can see your information. Before posting anything personal, it is important to learn these settings and use them diligently.

What Information Is Important?

While you may think that the important information would be your address, telephone number, birthdate, email, and employer, the list does not stop there. When deciding what information should be public and what should be private, it is a good rule of thumb to ask yourself if you would share that information with a stranger. Scammers and identity thieves can utilize almost any information you post.

Who Should I Connect With?

While it is great to find an old friend from high school, do you really want them to see all the details of your life?  The best way to protect your privacy is to limit who you connect with on social media sites to people you are currently in contact with in real life.  Also, ALWAYS remember that it is YOUR social media profile…YOU are in control of what information you put on it and who you share it with.

How Can Playing a Game Hurt Anything?

Many of the social media sites allow you play games with your friends and family. All you have to do is agree to a download, allow the game access to your profile, or post on your behalf. This has been (and continues to be) common with Facebook games like Farmville, YoVille, Bejewelled and other popular online games.  Because people generally either blindly trust or just don’t pay attention, this is how you wind up with all those irritating automatic posts on your social media timeline.  If the game will not let you play unless you agree to let them post with your name, or grant them access to your contact list, chances are they are not so innocent. Everything from spyware, malware, to information mining can be taking place.

Social media sites can be fun and allow you to easily share with friends and family. However, it is very important to be aware of what you are sharing, and who can see that information. Checking your security settings often, keeping your friend lists under control, and being aware of what you are agreeing to are all great tips for protecting your privacy. Most importantly, remember that no social media site is completely secure. If there is information that you would not tell a stranger, chances are you should not put it on the site.

---

About the Author

Louis Rossmann is a straight shooting tech guy who specializes in repair and LCD replacement.  Contact him through his Rossmann Group website.