Nowadays, almost all of our online activities involve businesses gathering personal data about us. Personal information is regularly gathered and used for a variety of purposes, including when you use social media accounts, shop online, use digital coupons in-store, or conduct internet searches.
Sometimes, a company will gather data about you, share it with another, or sell it to them. While gathering data has advantages for both you and businesses, such as connecting with friends, finding your way around, or receiving sales promotions, it can also be used in ways that are intrusive if you don’t exercise control.
You have a lot of options for safeguarding your personal information and controlling how it is shared and used. The Future of Privacy Forum and other organizations are promoting best practices for data privacy on this occasion of Data Privacy Day, which is observed annually on January 28 to commemorate the signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty to protect the privacy of individuals.
For the second consecutive year, FPF and Snap are collaborating to offer a privacy-themed Snap filter to raise awareness among your networks of the value of data privacy. To see it, scan the Snapcode below:
There are steps you can take to better protect your privacy online, you should be aware of that. We’ve provided five suggestions below that you can use to better safeguard your privacy when using a mobile device.
1. Check Your Privacy Settings
You can customize your privacy settings on many social media platforms to restrict how your data is collected or used. In addition to many other options, Snap offers privacy settings that let you decide who can contact you. Go through your settings in the Snap Privacy Center first. These options are available here.
You have options to view any information Snap has about you, including the time your account was set up and the gadgets that can access it. You can view the different types of information that have been gathered and adjust your settings accordingly by downloading your data.
Instagram gives you the ability to control a number of privacy settings, such as who can see your posts, who can comment or like them, and what happens to posts after you delete them. Your settings can be viewed and modified here.
TikTok gives you the option to choose between private and public accounts, control which accounts can view uploaded videos, and modify your customized ad settings.
You can control how Twitter uses your data, whether it can monitor your internet activity outside of Twitter, and whether you want ads that are more relevant to you. Go here to check your settings.
Facebook provides a range of privacy settings that can be found here.
What other apps do you use often? Check to see which settings they provide!
2. Don’t Share Location Data Too Much
Your location data will typically be requested by social media platforms. Do they require it for a clear reason, such as to give you directions or show your nearby friends? You are free to decline. Additionally, be aware that location data is frequently used to customize advertisements and suggestions based on places you have recently visited. The sharing of location data with outside parties may be made possible by granting access to location services.
Snap offers a number of options for limiting who can see your location. You can choose whether no one, specific users, or all of your friends can view your location on Snap Map from the settings page. Additionally, you have the option to prevent specific users from viewing your location.
- Navigate to “Settings,” then “Privacy,” and then “Location Services”
- Search for each social media service downloaded on your phone
- Open each and make sure “Never” is selected or only “While Using”.
- Navigate to “Settings”, then “Location,” and then “App Permissions”
- Select the social media app you’d like to prevent from accessing your location
- Make sure “Don’t Allow” is selected or “Allow only while using the app”.
3. Keep Updated Your Devices and Apps
The only way to ensure that your device is safeguarded against the most recent software vulnerabilities is to keep software current and up to date. The best way to guard against various online threats is to have the most recent versions of your operating system, web browser, and security software installed. Your apps and operating system will always be up to date if you enable automatic updates on your devices.
The settings app allows users to check the state of their operating systems. Users of iPhones should go to “Software Update,” while those of Android devices should look in the settings for the “Security” page.
4. Use Password Manager
You can protect your personal information from unauthorized use by using a strong password on each web-based account you have. Having complex passwords to remember for each account can be challenging, but using a password manager can be helpful. When you create and log in to your accounts, password managers save your passwords. They frequently notify you of any duplicates and advise you to create a stronger password. For instance, if you use an Apple product, you can allow your iPhone, Mac, or iPad to create strong passwords when you sign up for new accounts and services and safely store them in iCloud Keychain for later access. These are some of the top external password managers.
5. Enable Two Factors Authentication
Your accounts are protected by an additional layer thanks to two-factor authentication. The standard username and password combination that has been in use for years serves as the first authentication. The second element is a code that is sent to a personal device via text message or email. By adding this extra step, malicious actors will find it more difficult to access your accounts. Even though it only takes a few extra seconds out of your day, two-factor authentication can spare you the trouble and damage that come with compromised accounts. Use an authenticator app as your second factor to increase security.
It’s critical to be mindful of the information you share both online and offline as more and more people continue to work and learn remotely. Always remember to change your settings and keep up with any privacy updates or changes made to the web applications you use every day. Take responsibility for safeguarding your personal information and motivate others to consider the data they may be sharing. You can improve the security and privacy of your personal information by changing your settings, web accounts, and devices.
Join our monthly briefing, attend one of our upcoming events, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or sign up for our monthly briefing if you’re interested in learning more about any of the topics covered here or other topics that are shaping the future of privacy. The FPF brings together some of the foremost privacy experts to discuss how we can all profit from the data-driven insights while upholding each person’s right to privacy,
