By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Social media helps us to connect with the world, but it also comes with risks, like account takeovers, and links or scams that lead to risky sites.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have become digital Billboards for internet users. People love sharing their personal views and news about what’s going on in their lives.
But stop and think about social media privacy for a moment. This information some of which is very personal is going up on the internet. Outside of your trusted circle of friends and relatives, who else is viewing what you post?
Your personal information is valuable. You wouldn’t just hand out your bank account information, so why would you give away your privacy rights on social networking sites?
Discussing the topic: “Protecting privacy on social media” on the GTV Breakfast Show, Friday, May 13, 2022, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DK Cyber Zone Gh, Mr. David Gyedu cautioned social media users who post their personal information to be mindful of what they post on the internet.
According to him online privacy is key in the daily activities of users. Saying any information one puts on social media can be used again them positively or negatively in the future.
He explained that most online sites have tracking devices hidden in the app which track users’ even when offline.
The CEO of DK Cyber Zone Gh, warned social media users to pay attention to what information they agreed to share when signing up for a social media account.
“Take a moment to walk through the legal information contained in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service of any app one intended to download or use before you click on the “Accept bottom.” You may find out that some of the terms are in the best interest of the platform, but may not be the best for your privacy.
Some of the conditions may exceed your personal comfort limit. For instance, some free sites may gather and sell data related to what you look at to third parties for marketing purposes. Make sure your permission choices are right for you”, he noted.
Mr. Gyedu emphasised that most Ghanaian users of various online platforms do not think about privacy and security.
“Key loggers spy apps built in most of the download apps or online sites without the knowledge of the users, especially the free apps.” he noted.
