How Much Does Social Media Know About You

Panda Security

7 years ago

Does Cambridge Analytica sound familiar? We’ll give you a hint, it has a little something to do with data mining and Facebook profiles.

Cambridge Analytica, a London-based elections consultancy, has recently been scrutinized for using data mined from Facebook through the “thisisyourdigitallife” app to target users during recent elections.

How could Facebook let them do this? Well, applications have their own privacy policies. When you agree to them, you may be allowing the apps to view and use your data. Since apps are third parties, they are able to take advantage of this data in ways you may not be comfortable with.

Similarly, social media sites’ privacy policies are difficult to understand, which is why it’s important to make sure you update your privacy settings. Some countries like the UK are even making stricter laws like the recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to assure that personal information is protected.

While many users think they are harmlessly adding information to their profiles, this information can be used for targeted ads, sold to marketers, or worse, sold into the black market. Facebook has even admitted to using 98 different data points to target advertisements.

Assure that you and your data are safe on social media like Facebook and Twitter by using this guide.

It’s important to follow these tips and be wary of what it is we are sharing with our online communities. Keep passwords up-to-date and understand privacy policies, making sure that you have an idea on what’s being shared and to whom.

Keep your social media secure and browse the web anonymously with a VPN. VPNs can ensure that your online sessions are private all the time. Use this visual to be mindful of the data you share on your accounts, and be sure to occasionally read through privacy policies, and update your privacy settings accordingly.