Choosing a Trusted Virtual Gathering Place

Many of us love chatting to friends or checking out content on social media, but just how safe are we on these apps? Which social media app is safest, and what security features should you be looking for in the outlets you’re currently using?We’ll be looking at five of the biggest social media apps—TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat—to determine which are safe and which are risky.

How Safe Is TikTok?

According to a Statista study , the number of global TikTok users almost doubled between 2020 and 2023, soaring from 465.7 million to 834.3 million, making it a hugely popular app.

But in many nations, particularly the US,TikTok has been criticized for various reasons . During Trump’s presidential term, the threat of TikTok being outright banned was very real. But what’s the issue here? Should you be worried?

A key concern surrounding TikTok is its collection and use of customer data. If you’re on TikTok, chances are you’ve provided a fair amount of personal information, such as your email address and phone number. TikTok’s use of tracking pixels, which track users’ online activity, its various software vulnerabilities, and its relationships with other companies have all dragged the company into hot water in the past.

For instance,The Guardian published a story in mid-2022 about allegations that were made against TikTok’s data collection. Cybersecurity experts had warned Australian TikTok users of the app’s “excessive” collection of data, which was explained more thoroughly in an internet 2.0 report . Additionally,ABC News revealed that TikTok can continue collecting your data even after you’ve deleted the app.

The TikTok app has a number of security vulnerabilities, which cybercriminals can use to exploit users and hack accounts. TikTok’s use of HTTP instead of HTTPS to deliver users video content has also been made a point of concern.

But TikTok does offer its users some handy security features, including:

• Two-factor authentication.
• Restricted mode, used to filter NSFW content.
• The ability to block unwanted accounts.
• Private accounts.
• Comment filtering.

You can further report content that you think is inappropriate.

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Is Facebook Safe to Use?

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In April 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared at a US Senate hearing to give information on the company’s privacy policies and overall business structure. This hearing made worldwide news, with many wondering how Facebook treats users’ privacy and security. You may have seen the hearing itself, wherein Zuckerberg is asked some tough questions surrounding the value of and respect given to user privacy.

But this hearing was just one small part of Facebook’s history with security and privacy issues. Facebook has found itself in a number of lawsuits for various reasons, such as data sharing, data collection, breaches, and bugs. According to Statista , Facebook had almost three billion active users in the first quarter of 2023, so it’s no surprise that the platform is under a microscope around the clock.

Among Facebook’s past security and privacy scandals are a security breach class-action lawsuit in 2018, an unauthorized photo-tagging lawsuit in 2021, and a user exploitation lawsuit in 2022. These continuous legal disputes have put Facebook’s trustworthiness into limbo, and should certainly be kept in mind if you use this social network.

Outside of this,Facebook offers multiple privacy tools and security settings to users, including:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
• Two-factor authentication.
• Login alerts.
• Secure browsing.
• Profile and post restrictions to other users.
• Facebook Protect.
• End-to-end encryption on Messenger.
• Abuse and mental health resources.
• Crisis Response.
• Comment filtering.

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How Secure Is Instagram?

While Instagram began as an independent social media app, it was bought by Meta (then known as Facebook) in 2012.

Instagram has fallen victim to a number of cyberattacks in the past. In 2017, for example, an Instagram bug was exploited, which led to the leak of millions of users’ phone numbers. According to an article by The Verge , the bug gave hackers access to millions of email addresses and phone numbers, which were then put up for sale.

Another alarming story cropped up in June 2023, which suggested that Instagram isn’t very safe for children.

The Wall Street Journal and Stanford University researchers uncovered a shocking network of pedophiles connected via Instagram, which quickly made news headlines. Illicit users were searching for specific hashtags relating to inappropriate underage content, and younger users were also creating their own illegal or suggestive content for others to consume.

What’s particularly concerning here is that the Instagram app itself was helping to connect and promote these nefarious individuals using its recommendation systems. Instagram tries to cater to your interests by suggesting more of the content you regularly consume. In this case, people were being recommended underage content by Instagram, as well as accounts that post such things, making it that much easier to access this kind of media.

If you have a child or underage relative who uses Instagram, it’s vital that you try to employ all the security features you can to protect them. Instagram also offers a guide for parents with teens on Instagram , which can help your further understand what measures should be taken.

But whether you’re a child or adult, it’s always important to stay safe. So, what can Instagram offer here?

Instagram’s security features include:

• Two-factor authentication.
• Login alerts.
• Hiding offensive content.
• Blocking unwanted accounts.
• Identity confirmation for account recovery.
• Private accounts.
• Comment filtering.
• End-to-end encryption for direct messages.

Is Twitter Safe?

Twitter is another social media giant used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. However,Twitter has a history of hacks that stretches back to its early days, and millions of users have been affected by these incidents. Twitter has come under fire in the past for its own use of user data too. For instance, in 2019, Twitter was found to be using phone numbers and email addresses in its Tailored Audiences and Partner Audiences advertising system.

High-profile accounts have further been targeted in Twitter hacks, including those owned by Elon Musk and Bill Gates. It’s evident that the platform isn’t airtight.

In terms of security, here are the features offered by Twitter:

• Two-factor authentication.
• Encryption for direct messages.
• Block unwanted accounts.
• Private accounts.
• Comment filtering.

Is It Safe to Use Snapchat?

Snapchat is particularly popular among younger individuals, namely teens and younger adults. This app is heavily centered around communicating via photo and video, and there’s been a lot of concern surrounding where this content goes after being sent. Is the media you share kept between you and the recipient? Is there a third party that has access to what you send?

Snapchat gives you the option of saving the photos you send to your device’s camera roll, but there’s also an in-app gallery that your media is always saved to once sent. This is known as Snapchat Memories. Your Snapchat Memories aren’t viewable to other users unless you choose to share a specific photo or video. However, Snapchat uses its own cloud storage solutions to hold your memories until you manually delete them.

According to Vox , it is thought that Snapchat may use Google’s cloud services to store certain kinds of data, though it is not known for sure where Memories content is stored and who by.

But even if you don’t use Memories, Snapchat will store any data you send in its servers until it expires or is opened by all recipients.Snapchat’s privacy policy states:

We collect content you create on our services, such as custom stickers, and information about the content you create or provide, such as if the recipient has viewed the content and the metadata that is provided with the content.

This would suggest that Snapchat does not store your photos and videos on a long-term basis.

When it comes to security features, Snapchat offers the following:

• Two-factor authentication.
• Block unwanted accounts.
• Report inappropriate behavior.
• End-to-end encryption for messages and shared media.

Which Social Platform Is Safest?

All in all, it seems that Facebook and Instagram have the best security features out of the most popular social media platforms. Both are owned by Meta, indicating that the mother company itself is focused on ensuring its social platforms are safe. With encryption, login security and alerts, and a range of privacy features, there are multiple ways you can protect yourself on these platforms.

However, Instagram and Facebook are not perfect. Hacks, breaches, and inappropriate behavior can all take place on these platforms, just like any of the other outlets listed here. It’s very important to keep in mind the scandals and attacks suffered by Instagram, Facebook, and any other social media platform you use so that you know what the risks are.