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Social Media Safety

Social media platforms default to sharing more than most people realise. A few minutes reviewing your settings can significantly reduce what strangers — and advertisers — know about you.

Review your privacy settings

Most social media platforms have detailed privacy controls, but they're not always easy to find. Taking time to review them is one of the most impactful things you can do.

  • Go to the privacy or settings section of each platform you use and review who can see your posts, profile, and activity.
  • Set your default post audience to "friends" or "connections" rather than "public" or "everyone".
  • Check whether your profile is searchable by email address or phone number — consider restricting this.
  • Review your past posts — most platforms allow you to limit who can see older content in bulk.

Think before you share

Information posted online — even to a small audience — can spread further than intended. Personal details can be used by identity thieves, scammers, and stalkers.

  • Avoid sharing your full date of birth, home address, or phone number publicly.
  • Location data in posts and photos can reveal your home or daily routine — check whether location tagging is enabled.
  • Holiday posts showing you're away can attract burglars — consider sharing them after you return.
  • Photos of children should have tight audience restrictions, and avoid including their school, uniform, or location.
  • Think twice before posting anything you'd be uncomfortable with an employer, family member, or stranger seeing.

Manage third-party app permissions

Many apps and websites let you "sign in with Facebook" or "sign in with Google." Over time, you may have granted dozens of third-party apps access to your social media data.

  • Review which apps have access to your social media accounts — look for "Apps and Websites" in your privacy settings.
  • Remove access for any app you no longer use.
  • Be cautious about granting apps access to your contacts, messages, or friend list.
  • Quizzes and games that request social media permissions are a common data harvesting technique — avoid them.

Enable two-factor authentication

Social media accounts are frequently targeted by attackers — a compromised account can be used to scam your contacts. Two-factor authentication is a simple but effective protection.

  • Enable 2FA on all social media accounts, especially those with a large following or connected to your business.
  • Use an authenticator app rather than SMS where possible.
  • Review the list of devices logged into your account — remove any you don't recognise.
  • Use a strong, unique password for each platform — don't reuse your email password.

Dealing with unwanted contact

Harassment, unwanted contact, and impersonation are common on social media. Knowing what to do if it happens to you reduces the impact.

  • Use the platform's block and report features — they're there for exactly this situation.
  • Keep evidence (screenshots) before blocking, in case you need to report to police.
  • You don't have to respond to hostile or abusive messages — engaging often escalates things.
  • Report impersonation accounts directly to the platform — they are usually removed quickly.
  • If you receive threats or the harassment is severe, report it to the police via Action Fraud or your local station.

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