Data privacy is important because users leave digital footprints on a daily basis, but using social media can put your personal data at risk without you knowing it.
With scandals and data leaks hitting the news every day, privacy concerns are at the forefront. Starting in late 2022, US state and federal government agencies have banned their employees from using TikTok on government-owned devices due to data privacy concerns. As TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, some lawmakers feel that the Chinese government could use TikTok to obtain sensitive US government information through these devices.
Data transfers between different countries are also a concern. In May 2023, European Union regulators fined Meta $1.3 billion. The European Data Protection Board said Meta had violated EU privacy laws by storing personal data of European Facebook users and sending it to servers in the United States.
In July 2022, Twitter was hacked and 200 million users' email addresses were posted on the dark web. Leaked email addresses could give bad actors the information they need to launch malicious attacks.
With the increased use of apps like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and TikTok, social media has become a part of everyday life for many people. Despite privacy laws, users' sensitive information can be at risk.
Why is social media privacy important?
Social media privacy involves personal and sensitive information available through user accounts. Some of this information is shared voluntarily through posts and profile information. It can also be unknowingly exposed through tracking cookies that keep track of information about a user's online activities, such as webpages viewed, social media shares, and purchase history. All of this information is then collected, organized by user segments, and sold by data brokers for marketing purposes. Example categories include fitness enthusiasts, pet lovers, and parents. Using these categories, companies can personalize marketing campaigns to users on social media.
But scammers and fraudsters also collect this information to make it easier for them to access your personal information. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than 90,000 people fell victim to social media scams in 2021, resulting in losses of $770 million.
What type of data do social media platforms collect?
When users create social media accounts and use platforms, they leave a digital footprint on the internet. Companies collect personal information, interests and location information from the platforms using tracking cookies, geofencing and cross-site tracking. When users sign up for an account, they agree to terms of use that allow social media platforms to collect their data.
Even if your account is private, advertisers and scammers can still get hold of sensitive data, such as:
- Status updates about work, life, relationship events, etc.
- Religious beliefs;
- Profile information such as your name, contact information, and date of birth.
- Location data, such as your hometown, check-in location, previous cities you lived in, and your exact address.
- Your personal interests, such as your purchase history and interactions with the website.
- Shared content such as status updates, photos, videos, etc.
- Engagement on social media, such as liking, sharing, and commenting on other posts.
- Employment information, including current or past employment.
- Personally identifiable information, such as age, race, or gender.
Social media posts can reveal attitudinal data that captures emotions and feelings. This data measures how users feel about a particular message or piece of content. Attitudinal data can be used for surveys, interviews, reviews, feedback, preferences, complaints, etc.
Social media preference data reveals how users support different ideas, activities, and content, including politics, food, entertainment genres, and religious beliefs.
How do companies use this data?
Social media platforms use data to analyze the market, show targeted ads, customize their services, and recommend posts. Your dislikes and likes also help shape your social media impression.
Companies use this information to learn about their customers' interests. They may even ask you if an ad is relevant to their channel. These short questions help them tailor ads to your individual interests.
Social media surveys also ask questions about your interests. These answers are recorded and companies related to your interests can purchase your data, along with data from other users in related interest categories, such as pet owners, car enthusiasts, video gamers, etc. Using the information collected from these surveys, companies can tag you and keep you engaged with their social media posts.
When platforms promote brands, they are compensated in return. These posts may be displayed to users as sponsored content, along with data related to the advertising brand. Companies pay to appear in social media feeds where users match their products. This targeting information is collected from tracking cookies or from information shared. If users provide their email address or phone number, companies can also use them to share information about their products and services with them.
General privacy issues on social media
Users' social media accounts store a lot of data, giving scammers enough information to spy on them, steal their personal information, and commit fraud. Data protection issues and privacy control loopholes can put user information at risk when using social media. Other social media privacy issues include:
1. Data mining for identity theft
Scammers don't need a ton of information to steal someone's personal information. They start with information publicly available on social media to target victims. For example, scammers can collect usernames, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers to target users with phishing scams.
All a scammer needs is an email address or phone number to get access to your details, such as leaked passwords, Social Security numbers, and credit card numbers.
2. Privacy settings loophole
Social media accounts may not be as private as you think. For example, if you share something with a friend and they repost it, that information can also be seen by their friend's friends. Information reposted by the original user can be seen by an entirely different audience.
Even closed groups may not be completely private, as posts and comments are searchable.
3. Location settings
Location app settings can track your location. Even if you turn off location settings, there are other ways your device's location can be targeted. Use of public Wi-Fi, cell towers, and websites can also track your location. Always ensure GPS location services are turned off and browse through a VPN to avoid being tracked.
Combining a user's location with personal information can provide a precise user profile, and malicious actors can use this data to either physically locate the user or digitally learn more about their habits.
4. Harassment and Cyberbullying
Social media can be used for cyberbullying. Bad actors don't need to get into someone's account to send threatening messages or inflict emotional harm. For example, a child with a social media account may face backlash from classmates who make inappropriate comments.
Doxxing, a type of cyberbullying, occurs when bad actors intentionally share personal information, such as an address or phone number, to harm someone. They then encourage others to harass this person.
5. False information
People can quickly spread misinformation on social media, and trolls use emotional manipulation to incite other users into heated debates.
Most social media platforms have content moderation guidelines, but it can take time for a post to be flagged, so double-check any information before sending or believing anything on social media.
6. Malware and Viruses
Social media platforms can be used to distribute malware that can slow down computers, bombard users with ads, and steal sensitive data. Cybercriminals take over social media accounts and distribute malware to the affected accounts and all of the user's friends and contacts.
How we protect your information
Think carefully when opening a new social media account as each platform adds additional risks. Make sure the platform is safe and trustworthy before joining. If you leave a platform, be sure to delete your account.
Other ways we help keep your information safe include:
- use Strong passwords. Don't reuse passwords across multiple programs or websites. To remember your sign-on credentials, use a password manager to store your information securely.
- Avoid public devices. If you use a shared device, be sure to log out when you are finished.
- Don't overshare. Don't provide more details than necessary. Users shouldn't have to share their address or date of birth across all platforms.
- Disable location data. Disable location sharing for apps in your phone's privacy and security settings.
- Do not click on suspicious links. Even if the link appears to be from a friend, avoid clicking on it unless it is from a trusted source.
- Use two-factor authentication. Implementing two-factor authentication, such as a passcode or biometric authentication, adds an extra layer of security to your app.