Despite growing concerns about social media apps and privacy, many of us are spending even more time on these sites in an effort to connect with others. But with so many SM apps from which to choose — Facebook, Messenger, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and the list continues to grow — you may be wondering which are more likely to compromise your privacy and security. We spoke with tech security experts who let us in on the one social media app most likely to leak your data.
It continues to be the most popular social media app, but it’s also the one that is constantly on the chopping block for being loose in its handling of users’ data: Facebook.
“Facebook is definitely the king when it comes to social media apps that will likely leak your data,” says Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy. “There have been multiple cases of Facebook or Facebook partners misusing user data. Facebook is a treasure trove of personal information, including personal information, phone numbers, email addresses, and more, all of which could be used or abused by hackers.”
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There are also a number of settings that privacy experts advise you disable in order to keep yourself safer. At the top of the list you’ll find this one: microphone permission.
“You know when you first download an app and a bunch of pop ups appear asking you for access to your camera?” says Tech Expert Michelle Fleagle at Dotted Line Communications. “Probably not, and it's designed that way. We are so used to clicking away our permissions without thinking about it but it's important to take back control. The good news is that iOS 14 is making this easier by allowing you to navigate the permissions you might have granted and revoke them, if necessary.”
Fleagle says the one permission she would revoke to protect your data is microphone access. “This is granting apps permission to listen in on what you are saying and funnel that information to fuel marketing campaigns, advertisements, or worse if the app has bad intent,” Fleagle says. “For this reason, revoking microphone access for as many apps as possible is a sure way to keep your information to yourself and away from lurking businesses.”
Yet again, the app’s most egregious misstep is allowing third-party developers to create apps that can access your data, who can in turn leak or abuse it, Bischoff says. “Facebook profiles are publicly visible by default, so they can be scraped by bots,” Bischoff says. “Finally, Facebook allows anyone to look you up by your user ID, phone number, or email address by default, making it easier to find specific people. LinkedIn is a close second.”
If you’re set on making 2021 the year that you cut down on social media or put forth a more conscious effort to secure your privacy, most experts seem to agree: it’s a good idea to start by focusing on the information that Facebook has collected on your and making a point of providing it with less.
