Social Media Privacy Hacks: Protect Your Accounts and Personal Data

Social Media Privacy Hacks: How to Protect Your Accounts and Personal Data

Social networks are no longer just about chatting with friends-they now store personal photos, phone numbers, conversations, and sometimes even bank card details. This makes them a prime target for scammers. According to statistics, the number of account hacks has increased by more than 30% in 2024-2025. A compromised profile can be used for spam, extortion, or even stealing money through linked services. That's why social media privacy isn't just about convenience-it's a basic security rule. With the right privacy settings, digital hygiene, and a few simple hacks, you can protect your personal data as reliably as locking your front door.

How to Make Your VK Profile Private

VKontakte remains one of the most popular social networks in Russia, and it's where most threats lurk. An overly open profile makes you an easy target for scammers. Here's how to boost your privacy:

1. Lock your personal page.
   • Go to "Settings → Privacy."
   • In "Who can see my main info," select "Friends only" or "Only me."
2. Hide your friends and followers lists.
   • In "Privacy," choose who can see your friends.
   • "Only me" is the safest choice-it reduces the risk of scammers contacting your friends in your name.
3. Restrict access to your posts.
   • Set "Who can see my posts on my page" to "Friends only."
   • For private notes, use "Only me."
4. Hide your activity.
   • In "Who can see my activity in games and apps," select "Nobody."
   • For "Who can see the groups I belong to," choose "Only me."
5. Check login activity.
   • In "Security," enable two-factor authentication.
   • Regularly review which devices have accessed your account.

Tip: If you want to show posts to different audiences, use "Friend Lists" and share posts with specific categories instead of closing your profile completely.

How to Secure Your Telegram Profile

Telegram has quickly become a top messenger for both personal use and business. However, by default, your profile can be visible: your phone number, photo, and chat list might be accessible to strangers. Here's what you should do:

1. Hide your phone number.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Phone number."
   • Select "Nobody" or "My contacts."
2. Restrict access to your profile photo.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Profile photo."
   • Limit it to friends only.
3. Hide your last seen time.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Last seen & online."
   • Choose "Nobody" or set exceptions as needed.
4. Hide groups and channels.
   • Telegram doesn't have a direct option, but you can archive chats and use two-step authentication to keep things private.
5. Enable a passcode lock.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Passcode lock."
   • Also enable "Two-step verification" for extra protection-even if your SIM card is stolen.

Tip: Use "Private Folders" and hidden chats to store sensitive conversations separately, so you don't have to worry about someone accidentally seeing them.

Privacy Settings in Instagram and Facebook

Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta, have similar privacy policies. By default, profiles are highly open, which is great for socializing but risky for privacy. Here's how to protect your Instagram account:

1. Make your account private.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Private account."
   • Now only your followers can view your photos and stories.
2. Limit comments.
   • Specify who can comment in the settings.
   • For safety, use "Followers only" or "Selected people."
3. Hide stories from unwanted viewers.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Story."
   • Pick specific people to block from viewing your stories.
4. Review account logins.
   • Enable two-factor authentication in the "Security" section.
   • Monitor active sessions-log out of unknown devices.

Tip: Use the "Close Friends" list for stories to share content only with select people, while keeping your main profile accessible.

Facebook Privacy Settings

Facebook stores vast amounts of data-from your birthday to your list of interests. Many users forget that this information is often visible to friends or the public by default. Here's how to tighten things up:

1. Limit profile access.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Who can see your posts."
   • Set to "Friends" or customize exceptions.
2. Hide your friends list.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Who can see your friends list."
   • "Only me" is the most secure choice.
3. Restrict access to photos and tags.
   • In "Timeline and tagging," control who can see photos you're tagged in.
   • Enable tag review before anything appears on your timeline.
4. Manage advertising.
   • Settings → Ads → "Ad settings."
   • Turn off personalized ads to reduce data shared with advertisers.

Tip: Use Facebook's "Privacy Checkup" tool for an easy, step-by-step audit of your settings to quickly close any vulnerabilities.

TikTok Privacy Settings

TikTok is the youngest and fastest-growing social network, which makes privacy especially important. The algorithms collect a lot of behavioral data, and profiles are often completely open. Here's what you should do:

1. Set your profile to private.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Private account."
   • Only users you approve can follow you.
2. Limit comments and messages.
   • Settings → Privacy → "Who can send you messages."
   • "Friends" or "No one" is safest.
3. Hide liked videos.
   • In "Privacy," choose who can see your liked videos.
   • "Only me" is best for privacy.
4. Control duets and downloads.
   • Disable others from using your videos for duets.
   • You can also prevent downloads in the settings.

Tip: Use "Family Pairing" if you have kids. This feature lets parents control what teens see on TikTok and set screen time limits.

How to Protect Your Social Media Accounts from Hacking

Even with a private profile and the best privacy settings, hacking risks remain. Most often, hackers gain access through weak passwords or phishing emails. Here are the basics of account protection:

1. Use unique passwords.

   Using the same password for all social networks is a huge risk. If one service is compromised, hackers can access everything.

2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
   • VK, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and TikTok all support 2FA.
   • You'll need a code from SMS or an app (like Google Authenticator or Authy) to log in.
3. Review active sessions.
   • VK: "Settings → Security → Active sessions."
   • Instagram & Facebook: "Security → Logins."
   • Telegram: "Settings → Devices."
   • TikTok: "Security → Manage devices."
   • Sign out of any unfamiliar devices immediately.
4. Enable login notifications.

   Most social networks send push notifications if your account is accessed from a new device.

5. Avoid suspicious links.

   Phishing remains the most common cause of hacks.

Tip: Use password managers-they not only store your passwords securely but also alert you if one is compromised or too weak.

Additional Privacy Hacks

Beyond basic privacy settings, there are a few extra tricks to keep your social media even safer:

1. Restrict post visibility.
   • All popular social networks let you share posts only with friends or specific lists.
   • Create a "Close Friends" list to share personal photos with select people.
2. Disable targeting and tracking.
   • Facebook and Instagram collect lots of data for ads.
   • Turn off ad personalization in the ad settings.
   • Use browser tracker blockers like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger.
3. Audit apps with account access.
   • VK and Facebook let third-party services connect to your profile.
   • Go to "Settings → Security → Apps" and remove anything unnecessary.
4. Turn off location sharing.
   • Many social networks add geotags to your photos automatically.
   • Disable this if you don't want to reveal your location.
5. Regularly clean up old posts.
   • Over time, you may forget you've shared sensitive info.
   • Delete old photos and posts that could be misused.

Tip: Create a "secondary account" for following public pages and commenting. Keep your main profile as private as possible, using it only for close friends.

Conclusion

Social media is a huge part of our lives: we chat, store photos, share news, and even run businesses there. But the more information we share online, the higher the risk that scammers will try to exploit it. Privacy on social networks isn't just a trend-it's a necessity. Simple steps like making your profile private, hiding your friends, limiting comments, and enabling two-factor authentication can greatly reduce the risk of hacking and data leaks. Remember, security starts with attentiveness. Check your settings, don't leave accounts "open by default," practice digital hygiene, and don't hesitate to delete unnecessary information. That way, your social networks will remain a safe and comfortable space, and your personal data will stay well protected.