Common social media privacy issues
With the large amount of data on user social media accounts,
scammers can find enough information to spy on users, steal
identities and attempt scams. Data protection issues and
loopholes in privacy controls can put user information at risk
when using social media. Other social media privacy issues
include the following.
1. Data mining for identity theft
Scammers do not need a great deal of information to steal
someone's identity. They can start with publicly available
information on social media to help target victims. For
example, scammers can gather usernames, addresses, email
addresses and phone numbers to target users with phishing
scams.
Even with an email address or phone number, a scammer can
find more information, such as leaked passwords, Social
Security numbers and credit card numbers.
2. Privacy setting loopholes
Social media accounts may not be as private as users think.
For example, if a user shared something with a friend and
they reposted it, the friend's friends can also see the
information. The original user's reposted information is now
in front of a completely different audience.
Even closed groups may not be completely private because
postings can be searchable, including any comments.
3. Location settings
Location app settings may still track user whereabouts. Even
if someone turns off their location settings, there are other
ways to target a device's location. The use of public Wi-Fi,
cellphone towers and websites can also track user locations.
Always check that the GPS location services are turned off,
and browse through a VPN to avoid being tracked.
User location paired with personal information can provide
accurate information to a user profile. Bad actors can also use
this data to physically find users or digitally learn more about
their habits.
4. Harassment and cyberbullying
Social media can be used for cyberbullying. Bad actors don't
need to get into someone's account to send threatening
messages or cause emotional distress. For example, children
with social media accounts face backlash from classmates
with inappropriate comments.
Doxxing -- a form of cyberbullying -- involves bad actors
purposely sharing personal information about a person to
cause harm, such as a person's address or phone number.
They encourage others to harass this person.
5. False information
People can spread disinformation on social media quickly.
Trolls also look to provoke other users into heated debates by
manipulating emotions.
Most social media platforms have content moderation
guidelines, but it may take time for posts to be flagged.
Double-check information before sending or believing
something on social media.
6. Malware and viruses
Social media platforms can be used to deliver malware, which
can slow down a computer, attack users with ads and steal
sensitive data. Cybercriminals take over the social media
account and distribute malware to both the affected account
and all the user's friends and contacts.
7. Third-party apps
Third-party apps are external apps that integrate with social
media platforms to offer additional features and services such
as tools, games and quizzes. However, when you connect to
these apps from your account, you grant permission to access
certain data such as photos, posts, friend lists and messages.
These apps can misuse your data and collect additional
information for unintended purposes -- such as selling your
information to data brokers or targeted advertising. You are
also open to security vulnerabilities if these apps have weaker
security controls.
Case Study
Social media privacy includes personal and sensitive
information that people can find out from user
accounts. Some of this information is shared voluntarily
through posts and profile information. Information also
may be released unknowingly through tracking cookies,
which track the information of a user's online activity,
including webpage views, social media sharing and
purchase history. All information is then gathered and
sorted by user segments, which data brokers sell for
marketing purposes. Examples of categories may be
fitness enthusiast, pet lover or parent. With these
categories, companies can personalize marketing
campaigns to users on social media.
However, scammers and fraudsters also collect this
information to better gain access to personal
information. The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) reported one in four people who lost money due
to fraud said contact with the attacker started on social
media. The FTC also reported scams from social media
from 2021 hit $2.7 billion, which is the highest of any
other fraud contact. This number could be even higher
because a majority of fraud does not get reported.