My Facebook account got hacked, so I am no longer on Facebook. LinkedIn was also hacked and users were told to reset their passwords, which I did immediately. I don’t use Twitter, because it’s just another way to get hacked, and those of you who know me, know I am too paranoid about my data privacy to get too far out there on social media.
But that’s me—a paranoid data privacy and security professional that some have jokingly said should go hide under a rock.
People love Twitter and tweet, tweet, tweet about everything. But what about individuals who are or have been the victim of domestic violence and anonymity is crucial to their personal safety? How can they use Twitter to have fun but do it in a way that is safe?
The National Network to End Domestic Violence, with the support of Twitter, recently released a must read guide called “Safety & Privacy on Twitter: A Guide for Survivors of Harassment and Abuse.”
The Guide provides safety tips for users to help them make informed choices about their user name, password, notification settings, using different photos from different sites to avoid them being linked, maintaining location privacy, how to limit access to only followers, and how to have a private conversation on Twitter, all of which are designed to assist Twitter users to control and protect their privacy. It supports victims’ ability to use social media and have fun, but provides tools that will help victims control their privacy, and therefore, use Twitter in a safe way.
Kudos to both companies for providing these tips for victims of domestic violence. The guide can be accessed here.