Social Media: The Myth of Privacy

No matter what you do online, you’re doing it in public

Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR in New York, is an established authority in the field of social media. And Torossian has some bad news for you. They know. They all know.

Recently, a dusty old DIRE WARNING has been making the rounds (once again) on social media. This one claims that hackers can access your personal information through family photos posted on social media. The article waxes threateningly poetic about the injustice of it all and informs the user how to “protect your family.”

Now, before you click over in a blind panic searching for this miracle cure, sit down, take a breath and listen to this: The article in question is three years old. It’s NOT news. In fact, even if it was news, these “hackers” would have had the last three years to develop a workaround.

“The idea that a three-year-old ‘warning’ has any merit today is a pretty thin premise,” Torossian said. “There are a lot easier ways to steal your personal information online.”

Torossian is correct, of course. Black hat programmers don’t need to break into your file specs and steal data. Most of your important data is right there for the taking. The digital equivalent of low-hanging fruit.

The only way to effectively control your reputation online requires two steps:

First, filter everything you put online BEFORE you post it. If it could be used negatively in any conceivable way…don’t post it. Ever. At all. Was I clear enough there?

If you would not want it plastered on a billboard in Times Square, don’t put it online. Because, if you do choose to post it, understand that no amount of privacy filtering is foolproof.

Much like the concept of the weakest link, your privacy protocols are only as good as those of your friends. If they share your content on their sites or pages or walls, it doesn’t matter how much protection you wrap around it. That file is now only supported by their approach to privacy.

Next, put as much good out there as possible. This is the step that most people skip…or at least take much too lightly. From a PR standpoint, the best defense against the dangers of the Interwebs is a good offense. Regularly publish positive – but privacy neutral – messages across multiple sites and social media forums. In this way you protect both your privacy and your reputation.

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Follow Ronn Torossian on Facebook 08/21/13, 5:52pm