Social media is a popular way to keep up with friends and relatives, near and far. But while sharing photos and status updates and other information is a fun way to keep in touch on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the Huntley Police Department reminds residents to be mindful about the information you post online.
“A lot of people are very into posting information about family, photos of children, and grandchildren — it’s what people do,” said Sergeant Kevin Keane of the Huntley Police Department. “It’s pretty much open to the public. There are some privacy settings that can be done that will limit where the information goes, but basically, if you post it on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, there’s the potential that people you don’t know could see that information.”
Reviewing your safety settings on your social media profiles is a good place to start, but Keane said having a safe password is also important.
Keane suggests using websites that help you create passwords using unique characters and symbols, and applications that help you manage the many passwords for multiple online profiles.
Finally, Keane shares a few reminder tips about basic online safety:
1. As ridiculous it sounds, you’d never hang a sign on your door that says, “not home,” yet some social media sites are geared toward “checking in” to a location. Keane said that has the same effect — ”checking in” is a way of broadcasting that you’re not home. Instead, consider posting about an event after the fact, in past tense.
2. Never share personal information like PINs, social security numbers, cell phone numbers, or even birth dates online.
3. Every so often, it’s a good idea to edit your friends list. Delete those you no longer have an interest in. This helps limit who has access to your information.
4. “There are a lot of different privacy settings,” said Keane. “Be mindful of them and figure out what’s best for you.”
