[cmoneyspinner]

Social networks are a wonderful technological invention but they sure have had their ups and downs. Particularly when it came to protecting the privacy of the users. I will never forget when Facebook users raked Zuckerberg over the coals for his carelessness regarding the protection of their identifying data. That was several years ago, however, as recently as a week ago (September 22, 2020) this was a news headline:

Facebook users in Illinois can now apply for a privacy payout of up to $400

I am not certain about all of the legalities, but evidently Facebook users in Illinois can collect from a monetary settlement because in that state there is a law where you must get permission to use a person's “biometric data” (that includes photos). Facebook used lots of photos without getting permission and users are all over the United States. There are 50 states in America, but it looks like only Illinois had this law.

Nevertheless, if you don't know where to get information and guidance regarding privacy rules for popular social platforms this article presents some general information for: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Tumblr.

Twitter: Public vs Protected Tweets
Did you know that your tweets are set at public by default which means anybody (the “public”) can see them and comment? You have to specifically choose to protect your tweets. That way only the people who can view your Twitter activity are the people you approve. Once you switch from public to protected, your previously published public tweets will also become protected. However, if people were following you before you started protecting your tweets, you will have to block them. Protected tweets can not be retweeted or even quoted. You can go back and forth from public to protected to public … There are a lot of quirky things (in my opinion) about protected tweets, that's why I never bothered to change the default setting.

Get more info: https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and- ... ted-tweets


Facebook: Safety Center
Facebook publishes their rules in the Help Section called “Safety Center” and this platform gives you a lot more flexibility and control over who can see what? There are options for you to tailor your settings for each specific post and you decide if you want your posts are Public, For Friends Only, etc. They provided instructions for parents so they can keep their children safe. If you are not sure of your privacy or security settings, just do what's called a “checkup”.

Get more info: https://www.facebook.com/help/443357099140264/?ref=sc


LinkedIn: Settings & Personalization
I would love for my LinkedIn activity to be public, meaning that a person does not have to sign in or even be a LinkedIn member to view my profile and my profile activity. It used to be that way years ago when I first joined LinkedIn, I shared my profile link with anyone. However, over the years, it appears the platform had a lot of problems with their system being hacked. I have gotten eMails advising me of a breach and asking me to change my password. Of course, I never clicked the link in the eMails because I was not sure. It turned the messages were legitimate. Since that time they only show a portion of my public profile and if viewers want to know more about me, they have to create a Linkedin account or sign in, if they are a member. Most LI members want to be as public as possible because having a profile in this professioal network is almost like having a resume that you can present to a prospective employer.


Get more info: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ ... 66?lang=en


YouTube: Private Videos
I only have one YouTube video and it is public. The link below from Google Support tells you how to make your videos private.

Get more info: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177?hl=en


Tumblr: Privacy Policy
For Tumblr's policy on privacy you have to click on the link for your specific part of the world. There are rules for the USA and rules for Europe. I have no reason to keep my Tumblr blogs private. I have 10 blogs and they are all public.

Get more info: https://www.tumblr.com/privacy

Hope you find this article useful.

[Netherrealmer]

I had a private account in facebook that only family friends can see and I have a public account that family friends cant see. My videos are all public in Youtube since I want to be an influencer.

[cmoneyspinner]

I had a private account in facebook that only family friends can see and I have a public account that family friends cant see. My videos are all public in Youtube since I want to be an influencer.

I tried that public/private account when I first started with Facebook but then decided the private account was unnecessary work. If my family wanted to talk to me they know where to find me. I decided to use Facebook for online work purposes and make my profile and pages public. Every once in a while I chat with my friends on that same account. Right now I have 2 Facebook groups I am moderating and several business pages that I use for sharing my content and affiliate links. This setup is working for me.

Although I am sort breaking the rules. There is a site that advised me to steer away from making comments about the police or politics and such like on my social medai. Say what?? I ignored the advice. When people work a job outside of the home, do you mean to say they don't chat during their workday every now and then about politics, current events, etc.?

I can remember many conversations in the office about all kinds of topics. I remember when I was in the office and coworkers started yelling about a plane that had flown into the World Trade Center. President Bush Jr. was AT WORK visiting an elementary school when he heard about it. This nonsense about not saying stuff on social media because it's not work-related or controversial or sensitive? I'm not buying it! Facebook is my online work. I have conversations online that are no different from when I worked offline in an office. I had opinions then. I have opinions now!

[Netherrealmer]

I avoid making political comments altogether since some politicians have paid trolls that will defend them till the end.

[kat82]

Why I go on social media is to be public. There is no reason for turning on the private features since I see no reason for them. First, I don't usually use my exact personal information online except my name. For the email and other details, the script can multiply unlimited for the same original making aliases. So I don't have anything private on social media since I am there for public viewing. For secrecy, may be I use text or phone call.

[Mika]

I have a simple strategy, do not over share, and never share personally identifying information. Even though I use my real identity on social sites, I do not use personal data.