Taking Care of Your Digital Self, Part 5: Social Media

Social media is rife with identity threats, such as scams, oversharing and reputation damage. In order to practice good identity hygiene, constantly be aware of what is being shared and what kind of information those posts and pictures give away to strangers. When online, be critical of messages and posts that may lead to becoming a victim of a scam. Messages from “friends” claiming they are in trouble and need money, or deals that seem too good to be true, can lead to having an identity stolen or being scammed out of hard-earned money.

Social media platforms may not alert users when they change their privacy settings, meaning that what a user thought was once private and only available to friends could easily become viewable to anyone. It is very important to be proactive…

• Check social media platforms for updates to the privacy settings once a month
• Think about an image or statement posted online before it is posted

Tools & Resources

• Facebook’s Privacy Settings: A one-stop shop for learning how to manage privacy settings.
• Twitter’s Guide to Safety: Shows users everything from how to protect tweets and how to deal with a hacked account.
• Instagram’s Privacy and Safety Center: All about how to make sure an Instagram only shows what a user wants.

Stay tuned for Part 6: Cyber Security coming in May