Follow these six steps to protect your personal data on social media

Wired

Let’s face it: going online today is scarier than ever. What with multiple applications and modus in the internet that can easily hack into your personal data, we’re pretty much exposed to countless threats.

While we cannot ultimately just cut off the digital world for its convenience and use in our day-to-day lives, we can do several things to ensure the safety of our data.

In a “Digital Matters” episode produced by GMA News on Saturday, they gave helpful tips from privacy and data protection expert Jamael Jacob. According to him, it’s vital that many people knew the threats that could arise from online breaches.

“Hindi pa sobrang linaw para sa karamihan kung ano ba talaga ’yung dapat nilang ipangamba. Kailangan intindihin pa natin ng husto ’yung mga sinasabi,” he started. “Bilang mga ordinaryong mamamayan, limitado ’yung abilidad natin na i-check o i-assess mismo kung ano ’yung mga supposedly ginagawang masama o hindi tama ng mga application na ’to kasi wala naman tayo technical capacity.”

Look after yourself

In light of this, the program listed down six ways ordinary social media users can follow too secure their personal information on the web. These were based from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Grab your pen and paper guys, you might want to take notes (especially with a terrifying law effective today).

1. Use a strong password that isn’t similar to the ones you use in other sites.
2. If security questions are asked, use information that only you will know. Don’t use accurate information or information that can be easily guessed by others.
3. It’s better to use a different email address that is solely for your social media profiles.
4. As much as possible, only put minimal information in your account.
5. Read and understand the privacy policy and terms of service of the social media apps you use.
6. If the social media app is asking for more information, understand the need for it first before complying.

Sure, we have people that are tasked to rid us of these worries but it seems like we really are on our own now. Do you feel that too? Or is it just me?

Better safe than sorry!