Social media platforms are playing a huge role in our daily lives. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have made it a lot easier for us to share things online. But we must understand that sharing information or other things on social media is different from sharing and communicating through email. In this case email or other instant messaging services are relatively more secure and private. This also means that when you will share something on your social media page then it will be seen by a lot of other people relatively unknown to you.
Due to the internet, it has become easier for us to gain information from other parts of the world. You must have also heard about data breaches on Facebook and Twitter. At one end where social media has made it easier for us to stay in contact with our friends and family, it has also increased few risks for us on the other end. Most people have no idea about how social media is invading our privacy. According to a recent report data breach for business organizations have increased from 26% to 28% approximately in the past year.
How social media is violating our privacy?
Social Media tracks your online activities
These social networking websites track the things you do on these websites. For instance, these websites track what you like, your friends, what you look for on daily basis and what kind of posts you make every day. Through your activities, these websites try to analyze your interests and what kind of person you are so that they can show more content on your page based on your interest.
The point is that the social media has no right to track the things you like or dislike. Your interests and your activities on social media are very private and it should remain private therefore this information can be regarded as sensitive.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data analysts basically analyze your activities on the social media. Such as what kind of websites you visit, the friends you add, the pictures or videos you post, the pages you like or follow and this data can be used for numerous purposes. Through this data the analysts determine the content you prefer and this data can be sold to business organizations for their financial benefits.
Very recently we have seen that such data can be used to shape or mold the opinions of the users. Social media has played a huge role in election campaigns and it has allegedly affected elections results too. Although a new law (GDPR) has been introduced so that the users can secure and protect their online data but most people do not trust the governments and these websites.
Phishing
Hackers use links along with some text messages to hack your personal information. Some common ways of Facebook and Instagram phishing messages are “Hey! Is that you in the video?” or “Look what they are talking about you” attached with a link. When you click on such links, the hackers gain access to your sensitive, private or financial information.
If you ever receive this type of message, do not open the link and delete the message without wasting any time.
Malicious Software
If you will click on the link sent to you via Facebook messenger or Instagram DM then you account can be compromised. This can lead to numerous things such as the hacker might ask you for money known as ransomware or can steal sensitive data from your account such as your financial details, email or other social accounts.
Now after knowing that there are a lot ways through which social media can violate your privacy you must also know that by following these steps you can easily protect your data;
- Think twice before you share anything publically on social media
- Review your privacy settings on Facebook and Instagram so that you know who can view the videos, photos and news you share
- Do not click on links that look suspicious. Avoid clicking on pictures and videos or messages without knowing the source.
- Always read the pop-up notifications before clicking on the accept button.
- Always be reserve and cautious online
- Use the two factor authentication feature to secure your account
- Always use strong password to access your social media accounts
- Do not share your full name and address on social media
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