{"id":171512,"date":"2024-07-12T11:10:29","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T18:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=171512"},"modified":"2025-08-12T23:22:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T06:22:41","slug":"sharing-isnt-always-caring-tips-to-help-protect-your-online-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/sharing-isnt-always-caring-tips-to-help-protect-your-online-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Protect Your Online Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to protecting your privacy, take a close look at your social media use\u2014because sharing can quickly turn into oversharing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The term \u201coversharing\u201d carries several different definitions. Yet in our case here, oversharing means saying more than one should to more people than they should. Consider the audience you have across your social media profiles. Perhaps you have dozens, if not hundreds of friends and followers. All with various degrees of closeness and familiarity. Who among them can you absolutely trust with the information you share?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And you might be sharing more than you think. Posts have a way of saying more than one thing, like:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the pool at the rental home I\u2019m staying at this week. Amazing!\u201d <\/span><\/i>Which also tells everyone, <\/span>\u201cMy home is empty for the next few days.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t start my workday without a visit to my favorite coffeeshop.\u201d <\/span><\/i>Which also says, <\/span>\u201cIf you ever want to track me down in person, you can find me at this location practically any weekday morning.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One can quickly point to other examples of oversharing. Unintentional oversharing at that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A first-day-of-school picture can tell practical strangers which elementary school your children attend, say if the picture includes the school\u2019s reader board in it. A snapshot of you joking around with a co-worker might reveal a glimpse of company information. Maybe because of what\u2019s written on the whiteboard behind the two of you. And in one extreme example, there\u2019s the case an assault on a pop star. Her attacker tracked her down through her selfie, <\/span>determining her location through the reflection in her eyes<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The list goes on.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say \u201cdon\u2019t post.\u201d More accurately, it\u2019s \u201cconsider what you\u2019re posting and who gets to see it.\u201d You have control over what you post, and to some degree, who gets to see those posts. That combination is key to your privacy\u2014and the privacy of others too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three simple steps for protecting your privacy on social media<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

1) Be more selective with your settings<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you\u2019re doing, saying, and posting\u2014not to mention your relationships and likes. Taking a \u201cfriends only\u201d approach to your social media profiles can help protect your privacy, because <\/span>that gives<\/span> a possible scammer or stalker much less material to work with. Yet further, some platforms allow you to create sub-groups of friends and followers. With a quick review of your network, you can create a sub-group of your most trusted friends and restrict your posts to them as needed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Say \u201cno\u201d to strangers bearing friend requests<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers <\/span>might<\/span> be more than just a stranger. They might be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of fraud. There are plenty of fake accounts too. In fact, in Q1 of 2023 alone, <\/span>Facebook took action on 426 million fake accounts<\/span><\/a>. Reject such requests.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Consider what you post<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Think about posting those vacation pictures after you get back so people don\u2019t know you\u2019re away when you\u2019re away. Also consider if your post pinpoints where you are or where you go regularly. Do you want people in your broader network to know that? Closely review the pics you take and see if there\u2019s any revealing information in the background. If so, you can crop it out (think notes on a whiteboard, reflections in a window, or revealing location info). Further, ask anyone you want to include in their post for their permission. In all, consider their privacy too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further ways to make yourself more private online<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

While we\u2019re on the topic, you can take a few other steps that can make you more private online. In addition to your social media usage, other steps can help keep more of your private and personal information with you\u2014where it belongs:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n