If you’re worried about your data getting into the wrong hands, you have every right to that fear. Cybersecurity exploitations are on the rise and there seems to be no stop to the ever-changing and more sophisticated ways that hackers can get ahold of your data. Your data is a precious commodity, and the sad truth is that even if you’re doing everything in your power to protect it — like using a VPN when you’re on public Wi-Fi, creating strong passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication, some of the apps that you use daily are accumulating massive amounts of your data. Should these apps experience data breaches, all of that data can escape and leak out there into the world, just ready to be consumed by people looking to profit from it.
Knowing which apps are most likely to collect large amounts of data and then preventing them from doing so is your best bet. These four social media apps are putting your personal data at risk, according to security experts.
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1. Facebook
The amount of data that Facebook collects includes your location, interests, browsing history, and social connections. Phishing scams are alive and well on the platform and you should always be aware of getting strange messages from your contacts (who might have been hacked). And because Facebook allows third-party apps and websites to integrate with its platform, those apps often request access to your data, as well.
2. Instagram
Instagram has been targeted by hackers in the past. IG requests access to your location and can try to connect third-party apps to your account. It’s yet another platform where phishing scams thrive, so be careful about accepting strange requests and messages from accounts you don’t recognize. Setting your account to private can help cut down on how much access you give others.
3. TikTok
TikTok collects location data, information about your device, your user activity, and even biometric data. It shares user data with various third-party platforms and has been in the news for its lack of transparency about how it uses your data.
4. Snapchat
Even though Snapchat’s main selling point is that it erases messages after you send them, that doesn’t mean they aren’t keeping a record of your interactions. Snapchat also tracks your location, user activity, contacts, and has been the subject of past data breaches.
