Social networks are part of our lives. Sometimes small details can pose a risk to our privacy on the Internet. That is why we need to make good use of them and avoid surprises in the future.
We provide you with some simple and very useful tips to protect your privacy in your social profiles (Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
On social networks, we constantly share personal content with our friends (and sometimes strangers), we post pictures of our holidays, and we express our likes and dislikes through “likes”, “I love it”, and recommendations. In short, we turn our private life into a public one at the click of a button.
Posting what we feel, see or hear is not a bad thing. However, it is worth knowing that, due to the sharp increase in the use of social networks, some companies track the profiles of future candidates to make sure they are suitable for a job. Therefore, it is very important to be very careful about what appears on our social media profiles, as this can influence our professional future.
Everything we publish remains in time.
Did you know that nowadays, many companies are emerging that specialise in enforcing the Right to be Forgotten on the Internet? Forgotten is the right way to do with how our data is used and displayed on the Internet.
At a certain point, any person whose image has been compromised on the Internet can access this Right. However, this is not easy, as everything written and published on social networks (the Internet) remains there over time. The only thing achieved is that search engines do not return the compromising information in the search results.
Because of this, we must be very careful about what we post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., as it is difficult to start from scratch or improve our online reputation once it has been damaged.
The type of information posted on these sites is very varied. It ranges from opinions and likes to photographs, personal information, real-time location, and comments. All of these can put us in a compromising position, and, therefore, we must be aware of the privacy options available on the different social networks.
A good way to check which sites we may appear on and what information appears about us is to search on search engines such as Google for our first and last names and personal email accounts and telephone numbers. This will help us know how much of our data is publicly accessible to take action.
Practical tips for using social networks
As everything we do, say or write stays on the Internet, it is important to follow a series of recommendations to use them correctly. We look at them below:
1. Do not mix professional and personal contacts in the same group. We can separate them into different groups or networks.
2. Freedom of expression, but with a sense of responsibility. Human resources departments can track our information on social networks, see what kind of information we share, what pages we follow and the comments we express. They do all this to get an idea of your character or disposition.
3. It is not advisable to make critical comments about the company you are working for (or its affiliates). This may cause labour disputes with the company or among its employees.
4. Different uses types of social networks. For example, Facebook has a more recreational character, intending to contact each other. On the other hand, LinkedIn is characterised as a social network dedicated to showing your reputation and professional character.
5. Unknown contacts. It is advisable not to add people we do not know to our social network or accept friend requests. Maybe they may not have good intentions.
6. Third-party photos and videos. If you upload images or videos of other people or tag them in them, and you think it might damage their reputation, the best thing to do is to ask their permission first.
7. Control your personal information. Try not to send personal and compromising information (address, telephone number, place where you work or study, ID number, bank account or similar). Bear in mind that this information can be used for harassment, theft or impersonation. Finally, never give financial information over the Internet to unknown sources.
