Social Media Safety - Instagram

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Don’t be fooled, Instagram can be just as dangerous as Facebook! Even though this social media network is a favourite for those who love to share every detail of their lives through photos, making sure your account is secure is an important step to take.


Keep these five tips in mind and stay safe on Instagram…

-- Don’t add your phone number to your profile

In the private information section of your profile, keep in mind that less is always more! Even though your cell phone number is meant to be private, it can still be used to help you be “found” on Instagram, so it is best just to leave it out.

-- Avoid tagging your location

It may seem fun to snap a picture, upload it and tag your location, but remember that you are sharing this information with complete strangers. It’s not ideal that you post on Facebook that you are going away for a week, so it’s not ideal to tag all your Instagram posts.

-- Be careful of linked accounts

Linking your Instagram with your Facebook and Twitter means you can share your photos to a wider audience. However, you need to make sure that all your privacy settings are the same. You don’t want your boss seeing all your party snaps now do you?


-- Think about going private

On Instagram you have the option to make your whole account private, which means your photos and information is only available to you give access to. Keep in mind though that everything you post online is never truly private.

-- Don’t click on random links

In case this needs to be said, AGAIN, never click on random links. There may be a promise of a million Instagram followers, but no matter what social media network it is – don’t click it!

Just like any other social media network, Instagram has its dangers, so make sure you know these safety tips and avoid all the bad things online!


Our OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) department can assist you if you've been a victim of a social media scam, etc. Give us a call on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za and we will do what we can to help you!

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