Safer Internet: Keep Social Media Sort of Private-ish

Quotes | Summary |
References: General | Dating | Facebook | Genealogy, DNA Testing |
Instagram | LinkedIn | Mastodon | Metaverse | NextDoor | Parler | Tiktok | Twitter / X


Quotes

Summary

  • "Social" media is by its nature un-private.
  • "Free" services rely on collecting and selling your information.
  • [1] Consider limiting the info & photos that you post or share -- it's difficult to delete
  • [1] Don't assume 'private' messages really are; Don't assume 'secret' services really are
  • [1] Limit friend lists and apps
  • [1] Review vendors' Terms & Conditions: these are incomprehensible and changing,
    and grant them broad rights to use your freely given info -- pretty much however they want
  • [1] Review the privacy policies & settings for each site or service you use;
    {Figure 17: TCYOP-4: 143; TCYOP-3: 117}
  • Policies: e.g., Facebook; Google; Linkedin; Twitter
  • Settings: e.g., Facebook; Google+; Linkedin; Twitter
  • [1] Realize that sensitive info, e.g., health, financial, entered in other apps may be shared with Facebook, without your permission -- hopefully this will decrease as more of these apps/practices are exposed
  • [1] Don't use SSO (Single Sign On) to log into 3rd party sites using your Facebook credentials
  • [1] Minimize Facebook tracking of your browsing activities across the web:
  • on computer: use Firefox web browser, with Facebook Container add-on that isolates your browsing activities from Facebook.
  • on your phone: delete the Facebook mobile app and use Facebook.com only via the mobile browser.
    Install a tracker blocker, like Disconnect.me, and activate the blocking.
    Alternatively, you can install a private web-browsing app like Firefox Focus,
    which blocks trackers by default, and only use this browser when loading Facebook.com.
  • [1] Beware of impostors, e.g., a sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception; catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a sock puppet social networking presence, or fake identity on a social network account, usually targeting a specific victim for deception.
  • [1] Avoid providing personal details to 'fun' polls / quizzes
    -- now available to marketers, and to hackers ('secret answers' for accounts)
  • [1] When you finally realize that the settings & privacy policies & empty promises of the major players don't actually protect you or your information, drastically minimize your usage or just deactivate / remove your account
  • [1] Enable 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) -- see Passwords: 2FA
  • [2] If you must share information with a group, switch to services that do support privacy, e.g., Slack.
    The inertia of moving your family / friends / workgroup also makes this option particularly difficult
  • [2] Request the data they've collected about you, e.g., Facebook;
    see section Who Wants Your Private Data : Companies

References

Dating

Facebook

Genealogy, DNA Testing

Instagram

LinkedIn

Mastodon

Metaverse

NextDoor

Parler

Tiktok

Twitter / X