How to stay safe when using social media

Today, social media is used by people of all ages and backgrounds. Statista figures show that in January 2023, in the UK, 57.1 million people used social media. That’s 84.4% of the population.

We tend to view social media from the point of view of its benefits. We love connecting with friends, viewing videos, and sharing memes. But social has a darker side: cybercrime. In 2021/22, National Crime Agency figures showed a 23.5% increase in social media hacking. This includes things like identity theft to commit fraud, financial extortion, and hacking accounts to steal data.

Protecting yourself from these negatives is crucial in 2023. Read on to learn some of the best ways to stay safe when using social media.

4 Ways to stay safe when using the internet

Turn off geolocation

Many social media platforms use geolocation to track where you are. Usually, this is for advertising or platform feature purposes. However, this involves sharing your IP address, which many hackers can use for criminal purposes.

What can someone do with your IP address? Well, they can see exactly where you are. Use it to discern who you are. Hack your device. Steal your identity. And much more.

As such, it pays to turn off this feature altogether.

Use Wi-Fi smartly

Always use social media on private networks you trust. That’s because hackers can take over Wi-Fi routers and networks and use them to access personal data. 

If you must use a public network, use a virtual private network service. A VPN will mask your data over the internet and prevent hackers from stealing it, even if the public network is compromised. 

Change your privacy settings

Whatever social media platform you use, make sure to use the strongest privacy and security settings. These can usually be found in the platform’s main settings menu.

First, you need to turn on the strongest security settings to stop hackers from accessing your device or app. 

And with privacy, you need to reduce the number and breadth of people who can interact with your profile and posts. That way, you limit your exposure on social, preventing hackers from easily stealing data – images, text, and more.

Use your common sense!

One of the best ways to protect yourself when using the internet is to exercise simple common sense:

• Post fewer things that identify who you are and what you’re doing. 
• Never post sensitive data like your address, email, phone number, bank details, or social security information. 
• And be careful who you connect with and talk to over social media platforms. You never know who might be a hacker in disguise.

With the tips above, you can keep safe on social. What steps do you take to stay protected?