Smart Safety - Are You Unknowingly Sharing Your Data on Facebook?

 “The most routinely underestimated and overlooked asset in the digital age is data,” says Jason Adler, a Software Engineer at Repocket. We live in an era teeming with digital amnesia, where social media platforms like Facebook offer us free services, and yet, we unwittingly end up paying with our personal information.

With over 2.8 billion users globally, Facebook has become a vast, fertile ground for data collection, even prompting a slew of privacy concerns. While we often hear about data breaches, the reality is, we are, in many cases, voluntarily sharing our data unknowingly on Facebook. A deep dive into the subtle cues and signs could help us gain better control over our digital footprints. So, how do we better understand our data-sharing behaviors?

App Permissions and Settings

One common way we unknowingly share our data is through app permissions. These apps request access to various information from our Facebook profiles, with justifications ranging from ‘enhancing the user experience’ to ‘personalizing ads’.

Jason Adler from Repocket explains, “When you grant permissions, you’re essentially giving away your data to third-party apps, often without realizing the extent of the data you are sharing.” Experts recommend reviewing app permissions regularly and only granting access to necessary data.

Accepting Friend Requests

Each time you accept a friend request on Facebook, you essentially extend access to parts of your profile — your photos, posts, and potentially your friends list, depending on your privacy settings. All this data can be harvested for various purposes, from targeted advertising to crafting sophisticated phishing attacks.

Geo-tagging and Checking In

Geo-tagging photos and checking in at locations on Facebook are influential ways of sharing your data. Each tag and each check-in offers an accurate timestamp and location data about your movements.

Adler notes, “Geo-tagging commonly goes unnoticed as a form of data sharing because it’s a feature people use to share experiences. Yet, it’s an abundant source of data about users’ behaviors, patterns and preferences.”

Profile Completion and Quizzes

Your ‘About’ section gives away more than you’d think. In the pursuit of profile completion, users freely give out crucial data like education, relationship status, and employment history. Participating in viral quizzes is another way that you unknowingly share your information. Although these quizzes seem harmless, they are often designed to collect your data.

Advice from Repocket's Jason Adler

Adler advises Facebook users to become more data-aware. This includes regularly reviewing privacy settings, understanding what data each app is accessing, and being mindful of the information posted. He adds, “Awareness is key. Educate yourself about your digital footprint and take necessary precautions to safeguard your privacy.”

Bullet points for quick reference:

• Regularly review and update your Facebook privacy settings
• Be mindful of the permissions you grant to third-party apps
• Be careful about whom you accept as friends on Facebook
• Avoid unnecessary geo-tagging or check-ins
• Be cautious while participating in viral quizzes

The price of the free services offered by Facebook is indeed the information we knowingly or unknowingly share. A fair trade-off? That's for you to answer. But knowing the mechanisms behind how we end up sharing this data inadvertently, we can be more cautious in how we interact with the platform. As Adler notes, “Data is power. But with power comes responsibility.” Every piece of information shared contributes to the molding of our online personas — if we're writing the story, it's crucial we hold the pens.

Post courtesy of https://repocket.co/ .