We all use social media for different reasons, some for business and others for just personal reasons. Since the birth of social media, we have come to discover that this new media channel is a potent tool not only for personal use (connecting with old friends) but also to reach consumers who you might have not reached through traditional marketing
in the most cost-effective and quickest way. Unfortunately, with all its perks our social media privacy is compromised one way or another. Nowadays everyone is getting monitored online. Employers monitor their employees and an employer’s decision to hire or fire a candidate may purely be based on the latter’s social media behaviour.
Classic example:
A 2013 Career Builder survey found that 39% of employers search candidates’ social media accounts, while 43% said they saw something that made them cross out a candidate based on inappropriate photos or negative posts about their job or supervisor.
The reality is, the internet has become one big storage hub, and everything we say and do on the internet leaves a digital footprint , one which “WE” specifically own. Even with the ability to adjust your privacy settings there still remains the risk of nothing being completely private.
Question: Are we really reading ALL the terms and conditions of social networks we are subscribed to? Let’s admit it, no one really does.
With this, I conclude that we will never completely have “digital freedom”. Everything you do or say in the digital sphere will be used against you. As a result, I strongly suggest that you think before you post or publish content, because even if you delete your post, there is always a possibility of reposts, retweets and shares which ultimately mean your data is still doing the rounds and is stored on the internet. On Twitter, your posts are part of the public data feed that’s routinely captured by data brokers and others interested in analyzing that data, Read more here.
Also, learn more on how to check and improve your social media privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
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