Remember the 5 Golden Rules of Social Media

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Social media users continue to grow every day, with a shocking annual increase of 17%!

Massive amounts of data such as photos and posts are shared every day, some of it interesting and some of it pointless, let’s take a look at the 5 golden rules every social media user should always keep in mind…


Ignore the trolls. Internet trolls are there to irritate you for fun and you can find them just about anywhere from chats to online forums. What should you do when you spot a troll? Just ignore them! Lots of people like to take the bait and start an intense debate, but someone will always be wrong so don’t waste your time and energy.

Don’t post anything illegal. Did you know that you can be fined in New Zealand for trolling and cyberbullying? In other countries posts and reposts on social media networks can have all sorts of serious consequences, so always think before you post something on social media. It may seem like a joke to you at the time, but you should always keep the laws of your country in mind just in case!

Never repost scams. Scammers love to use the shock factor to get people to share their stories, whether it’s a baby on the brink of death or a drowning puppy, these posts will pretend to be calling for your help, but in fact, they are just scams! Always check the post before clicking like or share.

Consider readers’ reactions. You probably have many people on your social media networks, including colleagues, friends, and clients. And believe it or not but when you apply for a new job, HR will usually go through your social media accounts and check you out! Always consider what you are posting and what you do and don’t want them to see.

Don’t expose your private data. A lot of the time you’ll be prompted to add your location or check-in somewhere when you make a post or upload a photo. Anyone can access this data and see where you are at a certain time, taking advantage of the fact that you aren’t home in order to break in or giving strangers the information they need to stalk you! Always hide this private data from the public.

The data shared on social media platforms are endless and just about everyone has access to it! So be careful what you post and what photos you share and always use these 5 golden rules.

To learn more about social media and social media safety, please contact our OSINT department on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za

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