Social Media Safety Settings
Comprehensive guide to configuring privacy and security settings across all major platforms.
Why Social Media Privacy Matters
Social media platforms collect vast amounts of personal data. Default settings prioritize engagement and data collection over privacy. Taking control of your settings protects against stalking, doxxing, identity theft, and unwanted surveillance.
Facebook Privacy Settings
Profile Visibility
Settings → Privacy → Who can see your future posts → Friends only. Make past posts private: Limit Past Posts button.
Search Privacy
Privacy → How people find you → Set "Who can look you up using email/phone" to Friends. Disable search engine indexing.
Friend Request Settings
Privacy → Who can send you friend requests → Friends of Friends. Review pending requests and followers regularly.
Facial Recognition & Tagging
Settings → Face Recognition → Turn off. Timeline and Tagging → Review posts you're tagged in before appearing.
Location Services
Settings → Location → Disable location history. Don't check in to real-time locations. Remove location from posts.
Apps and Websites
Settings → Apps and Websites → Remove apps you don't use. Turn off "Apps others use" to prevent data leaks.
Instagram Privacy Settings
Private Account
Settings → Privacy → Private Account ON. Manually approve all followers. Regularly review and remove followers.
Story Privacy
Settings → Privacy → Story → Hide story from specific people. Share to Close Friends only for sensitive content.
Activity Status
Settings → Privacy → Activity Status → Turn off. Prevents others from seeing when you're online.
Comments and Tags
Settings → Privacy → Comments → Filter offensive comments. Tags → Manually approve tags before they appear.
Twitter/X Privacy Settings
Protected Tweets
Settings → Privacy and Safety → Protect your posts. Only approved followers can see tweets.
Photo Tagging
Privacy → Photo tagging → Do not allow anyone to tag. Prevent association with unwanted content.
Discoverability
Privacy → Discoverability → Uncheck email and phone discoverability. Disable contact syncing.
Data Sharing
Privacy → Data sharing and off-Twitter activity → Disable all personalization and data options.
TikTok Privacy Settings
Private Account
Settings → Privacy → Private account ON. Videos only visible to approved followers.
Download and Duet Settings
Privacy → Allow download → Off. Duet and Stitch → Friends only or Off.
Comments and Messages
Privacy → Who can comment → Friends. Who can send messages → Friends only.
Data Collection
Settings → Privacy → Personalization → Disable all ad personalization and data collection options.
LinkedIn Privacy Settings
Profile Viewing
Settings → Visibility → Profile viewing options → Private mode to browse anonymously.
Contact Information
Edit profile → Contact info → Set who can see email and phone to "Only you" or "Connections".
Search Appearance
Settings → Visibility → Edit public profile → Disable or limit what appears in search engines.
Universal Social Media Safety Tips
- Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts
- Use strong, unique passwords for each platform
- Regularly review and remove old posts, photos, and connections
- Don't share real-time location, travel plans, or daily schedules
- Avoid posting identifiable information: full birthdate, address, phone, SSN
- Don't accept friend/follow requests from strangers
- Review tagged photos and posts before they appear on your profile
- Disable location metadata (EXIF data) on photos
- Be cautious about workplace information that could aid social engineering
- Regularly audit third-party apps with access to your accounts
What NOT to Share
Home Security Risks
Vacation plans, expensive purchases, photos showing home layout or security systems, daily routines.
Identity Theft Risks
Full birthdate, mother's maiden name, first pet, first car, hometown - all common security questions.
Children's Information
School names, locations, sports team info, full names with location. Creates stalking and abduction risks.
Financial Information
Bank names, credit card photos, paystubs, tax documents, account numbers, payment confirmations.