Social media platforms are obliged to establish data privacy policies and provide users with the option to enhance their own privacy settings.

This is because data has become a modern currency, and personal data that is readily available from your social media accounts can be compromised and misused by malicious actors.

Reading the privacy policy, for every social media platform you sign up for, is a good practice to help you understand how these companies use your data before you begin sharing your information.

This guide details some of the key points of these policies, and other information on how some of the more popular social media sites and applications allow users to protect their privacy.

Snapchat

Snapchat collects the information you provide, the information they get when you use their services, and the information they get from third parties.

For example, with the information you provide, Snapchat will ask you to provide personal information such as your name, username, password etc. when signing up for the service. The information they get when you use their services is based on your activity on the application, and the information they get from third parties is data from partner services, advertisers or other third parties.

When using the app itself, Snapchat allows the user to execute more control over who can access your account. Should you wish to customize this setting, you may tap the ⚙ button in the Profile screen to open Settings, and then scroll down to the “Who Can …” options. The options featured are:

• Who Can Contact Me?

• Who Can Send Me Notifications?

• Who Can View My Story?

• Who Can See My Location?

• Who Can Use My Cameos Selfie?

• Who Can See Me in Quick Add?

Twitter

Twitter’s privacy policy outlines that even if you’re just looking at Tweets with no account on their platform, they receive some personal information from you like the type of device you’re using and your IP address. More personal information is required to set up an account, similar to other social media networks and platforms.

Twitter uses your Tweets, content you’ve read, liked, or retweeted, and other information to determine the topics you’re interested in, your age, and other signals to show you more relevant content. This information can be modified or corrected at any time.

When using the app, Twitter provides more control for users over their privacy by offering the choice between whether your tweets are public or protected. Public tweets are viewable by anybody online, while protected tweets are viewable by only those you have accepted to follow your account.

To protect your tweets, tap on the more (•••)  icon and go to your Settings and privacy. Go to Audience and tagging, and next to Protect your Tweets, check this box.

Instagram

Instagram’s privacy policy states that the application collects information from the content you provide, your networks and connections, how you use their products and services, information about transactions, and things others do and information they provide about you.

Instagram also allows users to make the choice between having a public or private profile. To make your account private on iPhone or Android, tap your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile and then tap the three horizontal lines in the top right, then tap Settings. Tap Privacy and then below Account Privacy, tap to tick the box next to Private account.

Facebook

Facebook collects information about:

• Things you do and information you provide

• Things others do and information they provide

• Your networks and connections

• Information about payments

• Device information

• Information from websites and apps that use our Services

• Information from third-party partners

• Information from other Facebook companies

To customize the Facebook privacy settings associated with your profile, click on the small triangle icon at the top right of the screen and select Settings from the dropdown menu. From here, select Privacy from the list on the top-left side of your General Account Settings screen.

From this page you are able to see who has access to what you post. This can be customized further by going to Edit to the right of ‘Who can see your future posts?’ Under Edit you may choose between;

• Public

• Friends

• Friends Except

• Only Me

• Specific Friends

• Custom

Facebook also allows users to hide specific personal information from their profile. To do this, go to your personal Facebook profile by clicking your name in the top left of the Facebook homepage, and then under your Intro on the left side of the screen, click Edit Details. From here you can unselect any personal information you do not want publicly visible, such as your workplace, education, current town/city, telephone number and other options.