Tips for Staying Secure on Social Media

By | February 2nd, 2017|Online Safety|

CSIDWe recently celebrated Data Privacy Day, where industry leaders and experts shared security insights to help businesses and individuals protect themselves from cybercrime. Social media was a big focus throughout the day; in fact, Twitter celebrated by live streaming from its headquarters, hosting panels with some of the top minds in the industry. As social media continues to become more popular, there are new cybersecurity concerns to consider. Information that is shared on social media can be used to access other, more sensitive accounts – especially if that information is the answer to a password reset question, such as the name of a first pet or favorite teacher. Individuals and businesses alike can take basic precautions to minimize the risk of their information becoming compromised.

Social media networks are doing their part to keep their users’ information secure. Facebook just announced its updated “Privacy Basics” tool, which makes it easier for people to find the tools that control how their information is shared on Facebook. Twitter also updated their safety policy at the end of last year, allowing users to mute or report abusive or hateful content, even allowing bystanders to step in to report questionable content.

While we love seeing social media platforms upping their security, the responsibility ultimately falls on the individual to check out the privacy settings offered across platforms and use caution when sharing information. Here are a few tips and best practices to consider:

  • Facebook offers a Privacy Checkup, which walks users through their settings. The checkup reviews who can see your posts, which apps you’re using, and the privacy of critical pieces of information on your profile.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication. Many networks, including Facebook and Twitter, offer the option to have a security code sent to your phone whenever you log in from a new device. It’s a quick, convenient extra measure of security.
  • If you go on vacation, it’s tempting to share photos of your experiences as they happen. However, it’s best to wait until you’re back home to post. Otherwise, you’re alerting a potential cyber criminal to the fact that you’re away. An empty house is a much more attractive target for a thief.
  • While you’re at it, it’s worth turning off the geotagging feature of your networks. When you’re posting, there’s an option to share your location. Make sure that icon is unchecked, or people will know exactly where you are when you post. If you’re at home, they now have your address. If you’re out and about, they now know your home is unoccupied.
  • Keep your social media bios free of personally identifiable information. You can also remove the year from your birthday, and refrain from sharing other information like your mother’s maiden name or high school mascot, since they often serve as password reset questions to your online accounts.
  • When your favorite social media app offers an update, do this as soon as possible. Many updates fix bugs and potential vulnerabilities, so it’s worth taking the time to do it, even if it means waiting a few minutes before being able to log in.

What other tips do you have for staying secure on social media? Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Cats, Geotags, and the Risks of Oversharing

By | November 1st, 2016|Online Safety|

CSIDIt’s important to remember that when we’re sharing selfies, back to school photos, and pictures of our kittens on social media, we’re also sharing much more.

I Know Where Your Cat Lives” is a project created by an associate professor at Florida State University, featuring one million Instagram, Twitpic, and Flickr pictures of cats (found through the hashtag #cat) from around the world. The online visualization is possible thanks to geotags, which are provided by photo sharing websites and publicly available APIs. After the initial cuteness of the cats wears off, it’s alarming to realize that these photos reveal the homes and locations of many individuals.

Geotags can be added to many different forms of media, including pictures and video, websites, and SMS messages. These meta tags can include latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, bearing, distance, place names, and even time stamps. It is this data that makes aggregated sites like IKWYCL possible.

Sharing geotags can pose a risk to your safety and security. Whether you’re tagging animals in your home or your feet in the sand on an exotic vacation, you are alerting friends and strangers to your exact location. It’s important to note that some social platforms by default, like Instagram, do not reveal a user’s location coordinates. However, many users elect to add their location. This may put yourself or your belongings in danger, alerting criminals to your whereabouts.

If you hang around the cat site long enough, you are sure to see a gray box stating “Photo removed by user.” Users unsettled by the location of their cats can change the privacy setting in their apps to remove the data and their images from the site.

Regardless of your favorite social platform, it’s important to be cognizant about the information you’re sharing. Always opt for the strictest security settings to help keep your information safe.

Are you concerned about over sharing on social? Weigh in with us on FacebookTwitter or LinkedIn.

 

CSID Bolsters Social Media Monitoring Product to Help Keep Children Safe Online

By | September 20th, 2016|Company News, Online Safety|

CSIDToday, we’re pleased to announce that our Social Media Monitoring product now includes child-monitoring services. This important addition, which can be rapidly deployed and customized through our Identity Management Center (IMC), lets our partners enable subscribers to monitor privacy and reputational risks, cyber bullying, weapons references, and sexual predator activity for their child’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

Ninety-two percent of teens go online daily. Ninety-one percent of these individuals share photos of themselves, and 71 percent share the name of the city or town in which they live. It’s more important than ever for parents to be vigilant of the security risks facing their children across social media. Not only can a child’s social media activity put them risk for identity theft or fraud, it can also impact his or her future success. In fact, 35 percent of admissions officers reported that when checking on a student’s online presence, they found something that negatively impacted an applicant’s chances of getting in, a figure that has nearly tripled from last year.

Here’s what CSID President and Co-Founder, Joe Ross, had to say about the news:

In today’s world where children and teens are constantly connected, they may be sharing information that puts them at risk for identity theft, reputation damage, or worse. The new child monitoring services added to our Social Media Monitoring product will allow businesses to provide subscribers peace of mind, knowing that they’ll be alerted if their children are sharing any information or engaging in activities via social media that puts them at risk.

For more information on CSID’s Social Media Monitoring product, visit https://www.csid.com/socialmonitoring/ and to stay up to date with all CSID news, be sure to follow us on FacebookTwitter and LinkedIn.

Social Media Dos and Don’ts

By | May 19th, 2016|Online Safety|

CSIDMost of us use multiple social media platforms every day to connect with our friends, family and coworkers. While these platforms allow us to feel closer to our followers near and far, it is not without risk. Malicious online criminals may target social media profiles to make use of our life’s most private details.

Check-ins at our favorite restaurants, vacation flight details and even selfies can reveal more than we originally intend. The same information we share on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be manipulated to access private accounts, create fraudulent identities, threaten our reputations offline and more.

Before you click, tweet or type your next update, make sure you are protecting your information:

DO: Create a long, strong and unique password for your social media accounts. Strong passwords should be a cryptic combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Do not use the same password and login combination across multiple accounts.

DO: Use two-factor authentication on social accounts. Many sites, including Facebook, allow users to enable this second layer of protection on accounts. For Facebook, when logging in to a new device, you’ll need to use your password and enter a timed PIN that is sent to your phone. Other accounts may require biometric information, like a fingerprint. This helps further safeguard your information and accounts.

DON’T: Don’t share location details. Sharing information like your home address in your social networking profile or checking-in at a restaurant can put you at risk for identity theft, or worse, alert criminals to your whereabouts. The same goes for sharing details of when you are not at home, like posting photos while on vacation.

DO: Keep your social apps updated. The latest versions may fix bugs and help keep your identity secure. For extra ease, consider turning on automatic updates.

DO: Re-examine your privacy settings on all social accounts. Social platforms are constantly tweaking their privacy options and policies. What you think is being shared with just your friends may be reaching a much larger audience, including strangers. Check your settings every few months to make sure your information is as private as possible.

DON’T: Don’t post harmful comments online. Think about the impact of your words. Post about others as you want them to post about you. Remember, your comments and posts live long after you’ve deleted them.

DO: Delete old apps and profiles on social media sites you no longer use. This often goes beyond deleting an app from your home screen. Follow their instructions online to make sure all your information is removed.

DO: Read the news and stay up to date on social media platforms, privacy policies and news. Check trusted websites for the latest information.

DON’T: Don’t take cyberbullying or cyberstalking lightly. Both of these issues can affect the self-esteem of users of all ages. Parents, create a conversation with your children and teenagers about the dangers of online harassment. If a situation arises, talk to your children, their school and even law enforcement if necessary.

What are your social media best practices? Share with us on our social – on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Using Social Media in Vetting for Visa Applicants

By | December 16th, 2015|Uncategorized|

Social MonitoringNews surfaced late last week that Tashfeen Malik, the female shooter in the San Bernardino attack, pledged support to ISIS on her Facebook page the day before the attacks and had talked openly on social media about her support for violent jihad prior to passing background checks for her K-1 fiancee visa. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) missed this because it is currently prohibited from screening applicants’ social media messages for immigration eligibility.

The New York Times wrote, “The discovery of the old social media posts has exposed a significant — and perhaps inevitable — shortcoming in how foreigners are screened when they enter the United States, particularly as people everywhere disclose more about themselves online. Tens of millions of people are cleared each year to come to this country to work, visit or live. It is impossible to conduct an exhaustive investigation and scour the social media accounts of each of them, law enforcement officials say.”

This ignited a debate that has been playing out in the media, the House floor, and on the political stage. To summarize, Democrats and Republicans alike said DHS needs to start screening social media before it approves visas. Hillary Clinton, among others, called for tech companies to work with authorities to combat terrorist messages online.

Whether or not the government should screen applicants social media accounts, it absolutely could accomplish this type of screening quite easily with social media monitoring tools that companies and individuals use all the time for marketing and business intelligence, reputation and online identity management. CSID’s Social Media Monitoring tool is designed to alert subscribers of instances where they are sharing personal information via social that may put them at risk of identity theft, as well as information found within their social networks that might damage their reputations. It is not hard to imagine how this same type of keyword monitoring and alert functionality could be used to aid in the screening of visa candidates.

As always, let us know what you think on FacebookTwitter and LinkedIn.

CSID Launches Social Media Monitoring Service

By | November 11th, 2015|Product News|

Social MediaEach day our lives become increasingly connected to our friends and family around the world thanks in large part to social media.

As of September, Facebook now boasts 1.55 billion monthly active users across the globe. Instagram has more than 400 million monthly users. Our favorite 140-character site has just over 320 million monthly tweeters.

Billions of people create an almost unfathomable amount of data. By 2020, social data is expected to reach 44 zetabytes (or 44 trillion GB’s), according to industry research firm IDC. With every post, check-in, like, swipe, and favorite, we are sharing our most precious information with the world. While many posts are harmless, individuals need to be aware of the types of things they are sharing on social media.

We recently tackled this topic on our first episode of Firewall Chats, titled “Social Media Matters.” Credit cards and Social Security numbers aren’t the only pieces of information that can lead to identity theft and fraud. Social media oversharing can have lasting consequences.

Inspired by the world’s social tendencies and our commitment to protecting consumers, CSID is proud to debut a new service to assist social media users. Our Social Media Monitoring service alerts users to privacy and reputational risks on the most widely-used platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Cyber criminals can easily access sensitive information on social media. Even seemingly innocuous information found on social networking sites, like mother’s maiden name and high school mascot, can be useful to fraudsters to gain access into your accounts. Just think, are these pieces of information used as your password reset questions? You may want to think twice next time you share this information on social media. That’s where our Social Media Monitoring services comes in. This service alerts a user when they are sharing personal information on their social networks, whether it be in their profile info, comments, status updates, or wall posts.

Perhaps even more than our assets, social media poses a great threat to our reputations. Careless posts and comments have resulted in lost jobs, relationships, and opportunities. After all, 91 percent of hiring managers screen job applicants’ social networking profiles during the hiring process. In addition to flagging privacy risks, Social Media Monitoring alerts users when their reputation may be at stake, identifying social media content containing foul language, sexual content, or drug and alcohol references.

To learn more about our Social Media Monitoring service and how to safeguard your consumers’ online privacy and reputation, please visit www.csid.com/socialmonitoring.

Firewall Chats, Ep. 1: Social Media Matters

By | October 13th, 2015|Firewall Chats|

PodcastEvery day we click, like, post, tag, and swipe our lives across our favorite social media channels. The big players, like Facebook and Twitter, provide a life-sharing platform for billions and billions of users. But new channels are constantly competing for our attention and information.

Social media is a fantastic way to keep in touch with friends and family, promote your brand, and engage with celebrities. But there are dangers. Can a careless post lead to identity theft and fraud? Can it damage our privacy and reputation?

In our debut Firewall Chats podcast episode, we sat down with Chris Crosby, CEO of Inflection Point Global and managing director of SociallyActive.com, to discuss the above and share tips for staying safe on social sites.

Crosby’s interest in social media was originally piqued after talking to friends and family members over their concerns with oversharing and cyberbullying. SociallyActive.com was created to be a resource for parents and families to chaperon their children online. Today, when you see services offering to help monitor your social media accounts, there’s a good chance Crosby’s software is powering that technology.

In today’s episode Crosby reminds listeners that malicious minds will use any available information to their advantage.

One simple tip he offers listeners is to constantly edit your friends or followers list online. Should everyone see pictures of your kids or know where you live and work? Probably not. Be thoughtful with your connections and the information you’re sharing.

“As a general rule, don’t put anything online that you don’t want to be seen by a billion people,” Crosby says. “We don’t know what this world is going to look like in five years and how this data is going to be used against us.”

Our expert also goes on to discuss what you should never share online, how to be mindful when using the latest social network startups, and social media guidelines in the workplace.

Listen to the entire episode here: www.CSID.com/FirewallChats. And let us know your feedback on our Firewall Chats Twitter and Facebook.

Save the Date: Our next episode will air on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and feature Passcode Editor Michael Farrell on the latest cybersecurity trends.

Content Theft and Identity Theft Go Hand in Hand

By | September 9th, 2014|Uncategorized|

online_gamingThis guest blog post is a part of our cyberSAFE blog series focusing on back-to-school security, privacy and identity topics. It comes to us from Tom Galvin, Executive Director of Digital Citizens Alliance. Tom is based in Washington, DC and has been active in Internet security and safety issues for over a decade. He is focused on bringing a voice to consumers, including those who have been victimized online. By putting a face on the victims of online crime, Digital Citizens will serve our fellow citizens and issue a wake-up call to policymakers and Internet companies that they must do more to protect us.

Children today are engaging with a vast amount of digital content. The average child spends around 7.5 hours a day consuming some form of media—a lot of it through the Internet. While children may be tech-savvy, they don’t always understand the implications of downloading an illegal game, song, TV show, or movie—and what those actions can mean for their personal online safety.

It should come as no surprise that a significant percentage of the content children encounter online is stolen content—music, movies, and games that are provided for “free” because the sites hosting them have misappropriated them. Criminals rake in hundreds of millions of dollars a year through advertising and subscription fees for content they don’t own. In fact, that’s a topic Digital Citizens has explored at length in our study, Good Money Gone Bad.

Children may or may not realize that downloading this content is illegal, and certainly more education is needed to help children behave ethically and morally online. Beyond the issue of whether downloading stolen content is ethically wrong, it also exposes children to significant risks. Those “free” games or songs can end up costing children and their parents a lot, including their identities.

A good rule of thumb for anyone to follow is that there’s no such thing as “free” on the Internet. Downloading stolen content exposes an Internet user and his or her entire family to malware and spyware that puts personal information at risk, gives hackers access to private content, and enables identity thieves to steal your life.

According to a recent survey, identity theft among children is on the rise. One out of every 40 households with kids 18 or under has experienced “at least one child’s personal data compromised by identity thieves.” Sadly, most of the time identity theft among children isn’t even discovered until years later, when the child becomes old enough to apply for a bank account, student loan, or credit card. By then, the damage done can be extraordinary.

Children are especially vulnerable to identity theft because their identities are essentially clean slates. They have Social Security numbers with no credit histories, making them perfect targets for online criminals who can use their Social Security information to open fraudulent bank accounts, new lines of credit, or even mortgages and loans.

Most of us would never condone a child walking into a local store and stealing a CD, DVD, or video game, but when they download illegal content, that’s essentially what they’re doing. The only real difference is that stealing a DVD from the local Best Buy isn’t likely to lead to weeks or years of frustration and expenses trying to reclaim a stolen identity.

In today’s digital world, it’s not just about teaching our children right and wrong when it comes to content theft, as important as that is. It’s also about helping them understand how downloading supposedly free movies, music, or games can put their online safety and their identities at risk. Today’s children need to know how their actions online can impact their entire life offline, and that means their parents need to know as well.

For more information, visit the FTC’s guide to Child Identity Theft.

Avoiding Hackers in College (AKA Jennifer Lawrence is a Millennial Too!)

By | September 3rd, 2014|Uncategorized|

millenialsThis guest blog post is a part of our cyberSAFE blog series focusing on back-to-school security, privacy and identity topics. It comes to us from Cynthia Lieberman, co-founder of CyberWise, the go-to-to source for busy adults who want to learn how to embrace digital media fearlessly, and the CyberWise Certified online learning program (check out the course on “Online Security Strategies”). Cynthia has an M.A. in Media Psychology and Social Change and with 20+ years of entertainment marketing and media experience under her belt, she also consults for a diverse range of companies in marketing, social media and professional online profiling.

In a flagrant violation of privacy, personal photos stored on iCloud were recently hacked from celebrity cellphones and leaked onto “4chan,” a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images anonymously. One suspected cause surrounding this incident is that a group of celebrities attending a recent awards ceremony were somehow hacked using the venue’s public Wi-Fi connection.

Many of these celebrities, like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton, are young millennials (age 18-27) who grew up using social media networks such as Facebook, MySpace and most recently, Instagram, SnapChat and more, and consider online social sharing to be part of their daily communication routine.

Despite their obvious celebrity status, many of these stars are no different than other millennials. They are at ease with online technology and comfortable sharing their personal info online. Unfortunately, the consequences of this comfort level have led them all—famous or not—to engage in risky online behaviors.

The Federal Trade Commission reports that people between the ages of 20-29 are the most-victimized age bracket when it comes to identity theft, making up 20 percent of all reported victims last year (and that’s followed closely behind by ages 30-39). This is partly because college students in particular are heavy social media users with smartphones (and often used without passwords).

Many of these millennials are leaving the parent’s nest and flying off to college dorms, unaware that unless they take certain online security precautions, they too can become easy targets for identity theft. In fact, most recently and for the second time in less than three months, hackers have broken into Stanford University’s computer network, and other university servers have been put at risk this year, including MIT, North Dakota University, and the University of Maryland.

Why are students so easy to target? For one thing, college students don’t have a credit history, making their blank slates easy to steal. They don’t usually do a regular check of their credit reports, so If their identity is stolen, it can go undetected for even years.

Here are just a few tips for college students to keep their online identities safe on (and off) campus:

  1. Don’t use public WiFi. College campuses, coffee shops and restaurants are rife with WiFi. Never shop online, log into credit accounts or do any banking transactions with your bank while on a public connection.
  2. Be alert when shopping online. Make sure you only buy from sites that have the security lock symbol next to the URL which can help ensure the website has taken appropriate measures to protect your info. While not foolproof, it will certainly lessen the risk.
  3. Never share your passwords with others. Not even your fraternity brothers or your BFF. Not for website sign-ins, email, online banking or access to the school’s library. Think about it…what if you shared a password with someone you know and they later decide use it to do something stupid on one of your social networks or with your bank account? It’s more than just a trust issue, and not worth the risk.
  4. Have complex passwords that you don’t tape under your desk. Make a habit of having several different “difficult to guess” passwords that you change regularly, and don’t store them on your PC, in a notebook or on mobile devices. Don’t use easy to find phrases like your birthday or last four digits of your social security number either.While it may seem easier for you to have one password for multiple websites, it leaves you wide open for thieves to hack your data. With one password, they can sign in to your email account and have a field day with your email—and everything else associated with it.
  5. Size Matters. Also, do the math—the length of your password is just as important as its complexity because longer passwords make it harder for hacking software to determine your combinations of letters, symbols and numbers.
  6. Don’t click that link. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. No matter how good that deal may sound, if you get an email or text saying you’ve won something or that has a tempting link, think twice before clicking. A recent study revealed that 52% of millennials—compared with 40% of those aged 35+—are more willing to exchange privacy for value with companies as long as they get something in return (i.e. special deals or freebies). Hackers prey on our greed, so avoid offers of smileys, screen savers and coupon-printing software and be especially cautious about downloading free media like movies and games: peer-to-peer networks are full of malware. Same goes for website pop-ups that tell you that you have a virus. With so much pirated software in the market, there is an increased chance that some sort of malware is involved.
  7. Be email cautious. Never open an email – especially an attachment – from an unknown source. Be wary of emails with no subject line or that is strangely vague or brief (i.e. “Hey” or “Cute!”), especially if a web link is included. Viruses can also come from friends that have already been hacked. Open its attachment and you could unwittingly be spreading the virus to others. For safety, verify the source with that friend before you open.
  8. Avoid credit sharks. Credit card and student loan businesses are known for inundating college students with great freebies in exchange for completed credit card applications. Don’t do it! If you want to apply for credit, go to the company’s secure website from your private, password-protected Internet connection, and never over a public WiFi.
  9. Careful about oversharing. Many websites ask for answers to personal accounts to help protect your privacy such as “What’s your dog’s name?” “Where did you grow up?” “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” Many of your answers can be found by checking out info you’ve posted on social media sites like Tumblr and Facebook, so be careful what you post and how transparent your security answers be when answering them.
  10. Don’t assume your phone or tablet is safe. It’s not only PC’s that are susceptible to viruses and hackers, but tablets, phones and apps are too. Lots of virus programs can be installed for cheap or free; just make sure they are downloaded from a secure website by a reputable company.
  11. Monitor your credit report regularly. Sounds like a hassle, right!? It’s worth it though because it’s much easier to catch an identity thief early on by keeping regular tabs on your credit report than it is to make a gazillion calls later to set your record straight.
  12. Trust no one. Imagine finding out when applying for a loan that someone has stolen your ID and has been opening accounts using your name—and it turns out the thief is a former neighbor or relative! Yes, even college roommates, offline and especially online “friends” and classmates can be scammers.
  13. Be app-alert. Be careful what you put on your mobile devices. Always use reputable apps, and select them cautiously. Make sure you use the Google Play or iTunes store, and never click any boxes that allow installation settings from unknown sources.
  14. Leave your important documents with your parents. Social Security cards, passports, and birth certificates should be stored off-campus under lock and key. Only carry physical copies of the ID that you actually need, like a driver’s license and student ID. Shred credit card and bank statements and any paper documents that have sensitive financial information rather than just throwing them in the trash.

These are just a few tips on how to steer millennials (and yourself) out of harm’s way when it comes to identity theft and online security. If you want to learn more, check out our CyberWise Learning Hubs and CyberWise Certified Online Courses on related subjects, including Online Security Strategies, How To Protect Your Online Privacy, Online Reputation Management and more.

Talking with Kids about Online Privacy Settings

By | August 26th, 2014|Uncategorized|

Backtoschool_082514This guest blog post is a part of our cyberSAFE blog series focusing on back-to-school security, privacy and identity topics. It comes from Anne Livingston, the founder of Kids Privacy, which provides parents with information and resources to teach kids to share smart and stay safe online. This fall, she is publishing her first book – Talking Digital: Tips and Scripts for Parents Raising Kids in a Digital World.

When I download a new app, I like to figure it all out first. I take my time, look through settings, and read reviews. My kids have a different approach. They just dive in. Often, this means moving as rapidly as they can, ignoring the settings to get to the fun part. But taking time to explore the settings is a critical piece to protecting privacy.

In the past, teens were able to rely on privacy through obscurity. With so much information online, most communications were lost in a sea of content. Technology is developing faster and better ways to search. Now, people can look for things online via an image or location. These public photos and posts are becoming easier to find. This visibility can lead to unintended audiences

Parents should talk with their kids and teens about the importance of limiting information. Most teens are looking to hang out online with their friends and classmates. By utilizing privacy settings, they can make sure they are sharing with their friends and not the entire world. Fortunately, most apps have some privacy protections. Below is a quick overview of the privacy options for some of the most popular apps for teens.

Twitter, Vine & Instagram allow users to set up private accounts. With a private or protected account, only subscribers approved by your teen can see their posts and pictures. Teens should remember that even with a private account, their profile photo and profile information is still public.

Tumblr also has private accounts but users must first set up one public profile. After that, they can create as many private accounts as they wish.

Facebook does not have private accounts but allows users to select a different audience for each post. Users can choose to share a picture or post with the appropriate audience for that content. Teens should remember the default audience is the same as the audience they selected on their previous post.

YouTube is a popular video-sharing site where teens can create a channel and post videos. YouTube does not have private channels anymore. By default, all videos are public. Teens can change an individual video’s setting to be private or unlisted, and private videos can only be viewed by selected users, while unlisted videos can only be seen by people who have the video link.

Snapchat doesn’t have privacy settings but attempts to protect privacy by allowing teens to share a photo that disappears after a set amount of time. The recipient can only see the photo for a limited time before it vanishes. Snapchat also notifies the user if the recipient takes a screenshot, but teens should note that the screenshot can be easily shared with the public.

Even when kids set everything up correctly, information can still leak out. A picture shared between friends on Snapchat can be screenshotted and posted on to Twitter or Instagram. The bottom line is that kids never know who is going to see it. Even with privacy settings, they need to be smart about what they share. If they would not wear it on a t-shirt, they should not post it. This goes for sharing pictures of their friends as well. Protecting privacy requires all of us to be good friends both online and offline.

For more information about privacy settings, check out KidsPrivacy’s detailed reviews of popular apps and social networks.

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