Privacy issues

Privacy issues

Your privacy is the most important thing to protect and hackers know it. When online, many people with malicious intent may try and steal your personal information. This is why you should take various precautions when in regards to your personal information. On this page, you will learn how this information is collected, how it gets released, and what people may be able to do with it. Additionally, you will find how to protect yourself from this at the bottom of the page.

1. Data Collection and Sharing:

Personal Information: Social media platforms collect vast amounts of personal data, including user profiles, browsing habits, and interactions. This data is often shared with third parties, including advertisers, which can lead to privacy breaches.



2. Lack of Control Over Personal Data:

Terms of Service: Many users do not fully understand or read the terms of service and privacy policies of social media platforms. This lack of awareness can lead to unknowingly giving consent for data collection and sharing.



3. Security Breaches and Hacks:

Data Breaches: Social media platforms are frequent targets for cyberattacks. Data breaches can expose personal information such as email addresses, passwords, and even financial information.



Hacking: Compromised accounts can lead to unauthorized access to private messages, photos, and other sensitive information.



4. Location Tracking:

Geotagging: Social media posts often include geotags that reveal users' locations. This can lead to privacy issues, such as exposing users' home addresses or travel patterns.



Stalking and Harassment: Publicly shared location data can be misused by malicious actors for stalking, harassment, or other forms of abuse.

Malicious persons are always trying to find ways to destroy others’ lives. This is why you should learn how to protect yourself with the steps listed below:

1. Get a website to delete some of your information from the web:
Some websites/services such as Guardio will protect you as you browse the web. It can delete some of your personal information from random websites which you may have never even visited.

2. Use a VPN:
Websites such as NordVPN encrypt your IP address which could be used to identify where you live to someplace else. Additionally, some VPNs check to see if the websites shown on your search bar are safe to use and/or block you from visiting them if they detect that something is wrong.

3. Change your browsing settings:
Changing your settings in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Etc) to be safer could help you prevent any malicious code being run when you visit a website.

4. Lock down your accounts:
If your data gets leaked or if you suspect that a unauthorized party has control of your passwords, then you should call the company involved immediately. A way to avoid multiple accounts being breached at once is to use different passwords for every site you use.