Wait That's Not ME!

Social media has created a playground for hackers and scammers. Its created a platform where its much easier to spread malware and virus due to the lack of internal protection. Hackers of the past had to hide the viruses or malware in an email. They also had to hope that the user would receive the email before it got sent to junk mail and actually open it. The email also had to pass through several security protocols such as Norton Security protection before even reaching the user.

With the popularity of social media and the easy communication it allows, all of the obstacles have almost been removed. It takes someone opening a direct message (dm) or clicking on a link posted in someones bio and BOOM hacked. Over 73% of Americans have fallen victim to a cyber-crime. Over 9 million social media users throughout the world have had their identities stolen off social websites. This raises serious privacy concerns for social media users.

Marketing vs Privacy

The algorithms within social media platforms allows for marketing to increasingly target specific users. Have you ever wondered why you search on google “fingernail polish” then next thing you know… ads for nail polish pop up on your Instagram and Twitter? This is because social media sites not only monitor what you do while on their sites but, they also monitor what you do when not on their sites.

This raises privacy concerns for active users because they are being continuously monitored and their information being recorded. This leads to concerns about how much does a site truly know about you. You volunteer information such as name, birth date and city you live in but, what if they are monitoring your google search and find you have health issues. This could possible lead to insurance companies not wanting to give you coverage. This is just one example of how this can affect a users life.

Since 2018, there are over 300,000 bots on Facebook alone. These bots are in charge of monitoring what you search and interact with on Facebook. The information that is gathered is then sold to different companies looking to target users on Facebook. They then use that data to tailor specific advertisements/popups on your page. Social media websites are continuously conflicted between the social media users and financial incentives.

Send Me Your Location...Or Not

When you first download an app, it asks you "Turn location services on?" This allows you access cools features such as geotags and location filters. This also makes your location collectible data for that specific social media company. From this data they can see where you live, what locations you frequent most often, the duration of time you stayed at specific locations and much more. If this information was to get hacked and put into the wrong hands it could make you more susceptible to theft, scam and threaten your overall security. Although the filters make you look amazing the risk vs reward must be factored in. 

Tips for Privacy

1. Be selective with your friends. Do not let random people follow you. This could lead to identity theft, scams or hacking of your page.

2. Hide activity status. On social media apps there is a way to hide your activity so others wont be able to tell when you are on the app. This also makes it so the application cannot record your usage.

3. Disable location setting or put it in "Only When Using this App" status. This will ensure that location is not being monitored or that you know exactly when your social media site is being tracked.

4. Do not open direct messages from people you do not know. Instead delete the person and block their account.

5. STAY OFF THE GRID. It want to completely remove yourself from the risk of encountering privacy issues, remove yourself from social media. This is the only way to guarantee you safety and privacy.