Social media platforms enable customer engagement and by doing so have revolutionised marketing through interactions on social media. In saying this, the age of social media has brought about an array of positive opportunities to the world. In saying this, with anything, there are always things to be mindful of. Whilst social media is a fantastic communication platform, the further and more progressive social media becomes, the more your personal information may be at risk of exposure. Essentially, the more you give, the more companies will be willing to take for research purposes and beyond. Read on as we list 4 vital points to consider in terms of your privacy on social media.
#1 IS YOUR CONTENT CONCERNING?
Sometimes it can be easy to forget that if your social media account is on public then the whole world is your audience, not just your followers, friends, subscribers, etc. In today’s world, looking up a potential employee on social media is a common occurrence in order to quickly find out more about their lifestyle, status, interests and so on. This means that potential employers, co-workers, and the like will all be able to view your posts without you even knowing. This is something to keep in mind when selecting your privacy settings on the social media platforms you are using. In saying this, the way you look at this can depend on the industry you work in. For example, a highly cooperate law firm may not like the look of an employee having a public profile showcasing their private life, whereas for someone working in public relations in the fashion industry this may be encouraged or even expected. Furthermore, in some industries social media accounts almost act as a resume / work exemplar. The bottom line is; would you feel comfortable for your employer, co-worker, parents and total strangers to view your posts? If your answer is no, then best you remain on private where you can control exactly where your content is going and who can view it.
#2 READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PARTICULAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Each social media platform differs in terms of their privacy policy. Although it may be tedious, if privacy is a main concern of yours, then perhaps having a read of the privacy section of the t&c’s would be beneficial. Most people do not realise that when ticking the box agreeing to terms and conditions, in a way you are signing away your privacy and ownership of your photos. In some terms and conditions, if your account is on public, it gives the social media platform permission to use your photos as their own. Scary right. More times than not this does not happen, but it is a scary thought knowing that these big successful platforms can have this hanging over your head. Adding to this, the matter of privacy also comes up in regards to deleting posts. More often than not, when you delete a post it does not actually get deleted. Essentially it is like deleting a file on your computer, it is not completely deleted, just transferred elsewhere. This is why not only is it important to read terms and conditions but to avoid posting things you will regret in the first place.
#3 CHOOSE WHAT PLATFORMS YOU USE CAREFULLY
Although social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram tend to feel overly populated, they are most popular due to a number of reasons. Not only are they functional, but they are controlled in a way that is secure to help protect you and your information. For example, Facebook uses SLL (Secure Socket Layer) which essentially encrypts (protects) the data you provide on Facebook such as passwords, chat messages, your posts and so on. Unheard of and less popular platforms may have a higher risk of fraud because they may not have this high quality (and expensive) software. This ultimately means that if you were to use , it may put you and your information at risk of exposure and activities such as fraud. Therefore, it is important to really know a platform before signing up, especially when providing and using your personal information.
#4 YOUR RETWEETS, RE-POSTS AND SHARES MATTER!
What you share, re-post, retweet and so on MATTERS. Even though you may not be the original author, what you share on your social media platforms regardless where it comes from shows your belfies, values and what you stand for. A common misconception is that you can share anything without holding any responsibility or accountability for the content itself. This is something to keep in mind, because what ever is displayed on your social media accurately represents you to those who do not know you (e.g. potential employers). First impression matter, and these days they often happen over social media. Therefore it is imperative to stay informed and strictly aware of what you post and in this case re-post and share.
No matter what way you look at it, social media IS invasive and there is no way to completely block people out. By signing up to social media this is something you must understand. From targeted ads to data research and sharing, it is all part of the nature of social media. Of course, there are settings you can create and adjust in order to feel safer but social media puts you out there and quite frankly that is it’s entire purpose. Social media can be safe and sweet, it just comes down to how you want to go about it yourself.
