Why Your Privacy Settings Matter
Most social media platforms are designed to collect and share as much data about you as possible by default. Out-of-the-box settings often allow strangers to see your posts, advertisers to target you based on your behavior, and even third-party apps to access your profile data. Taking 20 minutes to review your settings can dramatically reduce your digital exposure.
Facebook Privacy Checklist
- Who can see your future posts? Set to "Friends" or "Only me" — never leave it on "Public" unless you're intentionally building a public presence.
- Review past posts: Use "Limit Past Posts" under Privacy Settings to restrict old public content.
- Apps and Websites: Go to Settings > Apps and Websites and remove any app you no longer use or don't recognize.
- Location data: Turn off location sharing for the Facebook app in your phone's system settings.
- Face recognition: Disable this under Settings > Face Recognition if it's available in your region.
- Off-Facebook Activity: Review and clear data Facebook collects from other websites and apps via its tracking pixel.
Instagram Privacy Checklist
- Set your account to Private if you're not using it professionally.
- Under Settings > Privacy > Story, restrict who can reply to and share your stories.
- Review Connected Apps and revoke access to apps you no longer use.
- Turn off Activity Status so others can't see when you were last active.
TikTok Privacy Checklist
- Set your account to Private under Settings > Privacy.
- Disable Suggest your account to others — this limits how TikTok spreads your profile to strangers.
- Under Privacy > Ads, opt out of personalized ads based on your activity.
- Review Data > Download your data to see exactly what TikTok stores about you.
LinkedIn Privacy Checklist
- Under Settings > Visibility, control who sees your connections list and profile updates.
- Turn off Profile viewing options if you want to browse other profiles anonymously.
- Go to Data Privacy > Manage your data and activity to review and limit data sharing.
- Opt out of LinkedIn sharing your data with third-party researchers under Data Privacy settings.
General Best Practices Across All Platforms
- Use a strong, unique password for each platform — consider a password manager.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) everywhere it's available.
- Audit your connected apps quarterly and remove what you don't actively use.
- Be skeptical of quizzes and third-party sign-ins — "Sign in with Facebook/Google" grants those apps access to your data.
- Think before you post — once something is online, it's very hard to fully erase.
Make It a Habit
Privacy settings change — platforms update their interfaces and introduce new data-sharing options, often set to "on" by default. Schedule a quarterly "privacy audit" reminder on your calendar to stay ahead of any changes. Your digital safety is worth 20 minutes every few months.