When it comes to the use of social media, the very first question which might arise in any user’s mind is can you maintain privacy on Social Media?
When ‘modern’ social media came in the market for the first time in 1997, everyone considered it to be the stepping stone to the future. It gave us the technology to convey anything instantly to the desired audience. The emergence of social sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. served as a cherry on the cake.
But as the audience base increased, personal information became easily available online. Some factors giving rise to privacy issues on social media are the policies of sites, data thefts, illegal sharing of personal data, etc. These factors are a growing concern among the masses. Many-a-times, there are chances of social media websites getting hacked and personal information becoming public.
Nowadays, people are so into the use of social media that they take the security of their information for granted. For example, the live location of a person is a very innovative idea which may help at times, but it makes an individual’s location public information, which may lead to serious issues. Such kind of availability of personal information gives opportunities to stalkers and data thieves. There have also been many cases of financial thefts through social media.
However, on the other hand, social media is something which keeps us connected and updated with the world. Moreover, many social media sites are coming up with new ways to ensure security for their users. But still, we should be careful while using any social media platform. So, the answer to the question asked earlier is that we can maintain privacy on social media to some extent by following some major steps like:
- We should create strong and different passwords for different sites.
- The friends we add must be known to us.
- Suspicious links should never be used.
- Social sites should not be left logged in.
- Financial status should not be shared.
I myself being a frequent user of social media, will never suggest anyone delete or discontinue social media use, but I will definitely encourage everyone to be careful while using such platforms.