Why Your Privacy Is Under Threat
Social media platforms aren’t just collecting what you post they’re tracking everything. Every like, scroll, search, share, and pause on a video gets logged. Most apps also gather your location, device info, browsing behavior, and even voice data if permissions are loose. It’s not about your cat pics they want patterns, habits, and triggers.
This data doesn’t stay put. It’s sold, traded, or shared with third parties advertisers, data brokers, and sometimes less scrupulous operators. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. Marketers tailor ads so precisely you forget giving them the info. Worse, fraudsters can stitch together your details to impersonate you, steal your identity, or engineer a phishing scam that feels eerily personal.
Then there’s doxxing and harassment especially if your profile is public or you’re vocal online. One post can lead strangers to your home address, job, or family. Once you’ve been targeted, it’s hard to scrub the information completely.
Bottom line: privacy isn’t a nice to have it’s a survival skill in 2024.
Simple Profile Changes That Matter
Privacy isn’t just about turning off a few settings it’s about cutting down what you expose by default. Most social platforms give more power to strangers than you’d guess, often quietly enabled unless you dig into your settings.
Start by limiting who can see your posts, stories, and anything you’re tagged in. Public visibility might feel good for reach, but it’s a shortcut to being targeted. Switch to friends only or custom groups. Same goes for your list of followers or friends make it private. No one needs to see who you’re connected to unless there’s a real reason.
Location sharing is another quiet leak. Even if you’ve never tagged a place, some apps still track and post where you are. Turn this off platform wide and double check your device settings too. You’d be surprised what’s still on by default.
Last part your personal info. Birthdays, email addresses, even job titles don’t hand those out unless it serves a clear purpose. The more you share, the easier it is for someone to profile or impersonate you. Privacy starts with making your account boring to strangers.
Two Factor Authentication: Non Negotiable
If your social media accounts are still only protected by a password, you’re waiting to get hacked. Passwords can be guessed, leaked, or stolen plain and simple. That’s why two factor authentication (2FA) isn’t optional anymore. It’s a basic layer that separates you from the next data breach.
2FA works by asking for a second piece of info usually a temporary code or approval via an app after you enter your password. It takes an extra ten seconds. But it blocks the vast majority of unauthorized access attempts cold.
Here’s how to set it up on the major platforms:
Facebook: Go to Settings > Security and Login > Use two factor authentication. Use an authentication app for best results.
Instagram: Settings > Security > Two factor Authentication. Turn it on and pick your method: app or text.
TikTok: Profile > Settings and Privacy > Security > 2 step verification. They give you SMS and email options.
Twitter/X: Settings and Privacy > Security and account access > Security > Two factor authentication. Do yourself a favor skip SMS and go with an app.
One last thing don’t ignore backup methods. If your phone dies or you replace your device, you’ll need a way back in. Save your backup codes somewhere safe (not your email inbox). These seem like an afterthought until you’re locked out of your own accounts. Then they’re everything.
Tame Your App Permissions
Most people have no idea how many third party apps are quietly peeking into their social profiles. It’s not just about what you post it’s the tools you’ve given access to over time: that photo editing app from 2019, the quiz game you played once, or the analytics plugin you’ve long forgotten. Many of these still tap into your data, even when you’re not actively using them.
Start by visiting each platform’s app and website permissions page. Facebook, Google, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram all let you see which apps have various access levels to your account. Revoke anything you don’t use regularly. If you don’t recognize it, cut it loose.
Then go deeper. Your phone settings are just as important. Both iOS and Android let you control app level permissions manage who gets access to your location, microphone, camera, and contacts. Disable anything that doesn’t absolutely need it. For vloggers especially, don’t leave those doors open. A rogue app doesn’t need much to flip your camera on or log location data without you noticing.
Good digital hygiene is ongoing. Get in the habit of auditing your app permissions every couple of months. Privacy isn’t a one time fix. It’s a habit.
The Power Move: Lock It All Down
If you’re serious about privacy, you need to treat your social media like a vault not a public square. Here’s a no fluff guide to locking down your accounts.
Start with account settings. On Facebook, go to Settings > Privacy and triple check who can see your posts, friend list, and profile details. Set everything to “Friends” or “Only Me” unless there’s a clear reason not to. Don’t forget to limit past posts there’s a button for that.
Instagram keeps things a little simpler. Hit Settings > Privacy, and set your account to private. Turn off activity status and control who can tag or message you. TikTok? Switch to a private account, disable suggested account linking, and restrict who can duet or stitch your videos.
On TikTok, also find the “Personalization and data” section under Settings turn off ad personalization. For Twitter/X, go to Settings > Privacy and Safety. Protect your tweets, block discoverability by email or phone number, and review connected apps.
Across all platforms, audit your app permissions regularly. Revoke anything you don’t recognize. And if you need a step by step breakdown by platform, check out this full guide: lock down social accounts.
Spend 20 minutes doing this now, save yourself a hundred headaches later.
Don’t Stop at Settings Change Your Habits
Privacy settings are only the first layer. What really protects you is how you use the internet day to day.
Start with this: always think before you share. That tweet, tag, or selfie might seem harmless, but small clues stack up fast. A photo of your workspace, your kid’s school shirt, or your new driver’s license? That’s more than enough for someone to piece together your life. Oversharing isn’t just risky it’s permanent. Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.
Skip social logins, too. Signing into third party apps with Google or Facebook might save time, but it gives big tech and random developers a shared window into your habits. That data trail follows you. Use a separate email and strong, unique passwords instead. It’s more work but it’s your data.
Lastly, upgrade your browsing stack. Use browsers that block trackers by default (think Firefox or Brave), and pair them with a VPN when posting or consuming content. This combo keeps snoops corporate or criminal from watching your every click. As platforms collect more, your best defense is less exposure.
Small shifts in behavior go a long way. Make them part of your routine.
Stay Alert, Stay Private
Privacy settings aren’t a one and done deal. Set a recurring reminder every 90 days is solid to go over your privacy and security settings across all your social apps. Features change, defaults reset, and platforms quietly add new permissions. Quarterly check ins help you catch all of it.
Also, don’t rely solely on what the app tells you. Follow a few trusted privacy focused outlets or tech reporters who track update rollouts and policy changes. They usually spot red flags long before the general public catches on.
After a big app update or when switching devices, revisit your checkups. Some settings magically toggle themselves back on, especially things like location access or microphone control. Stay in control.
Need a practical step by step? Start here: lock down social accounts.
