6 Rules to protect your privacy online now Follow our digital security guide and avoid being a victim
Revenge-porn, sextortion, identity fraud, home invasions… the list is endless and the numbers are increasing. Follow our digital security guide, and avoid being the next victim.
how many social media followers do you have? Do you know them all? What information can be gathered by looking at your feed (other than your Zara addiction)? These aren’t questions we ordinarily think about, but we should definitely start.
The number of social media-related crimes is on the rise globally and, unfortunately, SA is not exempt from this. Just last year, former Home Affairs minister Ayanda Dlodlo publicly called out a criminal syndicate that was being run through social media and managed to solicit up to R25 million from its victims. “These impostors create fake accounts, not just for misinformation and personal data compromise‚ which are common mischiefs on social media, but to extort money from unsuspecting patrons,” she stated. Sadly, people being victimised through these platforms are a common occurrence.
“One of the worst cases we had was last year,” say lawyers Emma Sadleir and Sarah Hoffman, who deal with social media-related cases on a daily basis at The Digital Law Company. “A 17- yearold girl had sent an intimate video to her boyfriend via Whatsapp two years prior and the video resurfaced on porn sites all over the internet,” says Sarah. “It was so bad, that when you searched her name on Google, the first thing that popped up was her Instagram and Twitter pages, and then just links to the video on various adult websites. Emotionally and psychologically, she was completely scarred, never mind what it did to her reputation.” Sarah says that upon investigation, it also came to light that the victim’s boyfriend had bragged to his friends about the video. As a result, they began to circulate and ended up in the possession of someone from another school who decided to post it online. The perpetrator was later found and charged with child pornography distribution.
“In truth, we all think that we’re somehow immune to these digital threats, but they can so easily happen to any one of us if we aren’t cautious,” warns Sarah. “It’s important that we take all the necessary actions to protect
our privacy online.” With Sarah and Emma’s help, we’ve compiled a list of rules that you can start using now to best protect your privacy online.
Rule 1 Be selective with the information you share Online predators have various means of attaining your personal data, but that doesn’t mean you should willingly give it up. “If you wouldn’t want it on a billboard, then it shouldn’t be on social media,” says Sarah. “You don’t have to fill out where you live or work, but be more selective with the information you share on these apps, as you have no idea who is viewing it,” she adds. “If you want to preserve your right to privacy, then it’s important that you’re accountable for your own actions and behave responsibly online. When people know everything about you, you become a bigger target.”
Sarah also stresses that you refrain from posting personal documents, like your ID or passport, as well as photos where your car number plate and the exterior of your house can be easily identified. Having this kind of personal information out there can make you vulnerable to crimes like hijacking and break-ins, in addition to identity theft – which can take years to rectify, not to mention the money you lose in the process. Rule 2 Don’t take and share intimate photos or videos of yourself Yes, technology can be a great way to spice up your sex life, but at what cost? “Although revenge porn has recently become criminalised in this country, it happens all too often. Once a relationship goes sour, you don’t want to be in a situation where someone can hurt you by uploading your personal content online. Trust no one,” says Emma. Even if you aren’t sharing these images, their mere existence instantly opens you up to a number of unwanted scenarios. “People think that once they delete a photo or video off their device, it’s gone forever, but that’s not always the case. That data may still exist somewhere and you may not even be aware of it,” she says.
“Take the case of actress Jennifer Lawrence. In 2014, Jennifer’s icloud account was hacked and her nude photos were leaked online for the whole world to gawk at. Something like this can happen to any one of us, and once those photos are on social media, you quickly lose control of who’s seeing and sharing them.” Digital hacking is very common in SA, too, with a large number of Sarah and Emma’s clients being the unfortunate victims of this heinous act. Rule 3 Use your privacy settings “Making use of your privacy options immediately limits the number of people who have access to your content,” says Sarah. We live in a culture of oversharing and it has become normalised to have over 500 Instagram followers, of which we only know half of. “If you just use these platforms to connect with your friends and upload photos of your personal life, why would you want to grant strangers access to your page?” Alternatively, you can create a separate account for work purposes. Rule 4 Don’t distribute any illegal content “Whether you liked it, retweeted it or sent it via Whatsapp, if the content is illegal, then you too can be implicated under SA law,” explains Sarah. So if someone else’s nude photos are doing the rounds, it’s not only immoral to send it to a friend for a quick chuckle, it can also land you in jail. Steer clear of anything that looks defamatory unless you’re going to report it. You don’t need that bad karma anyway.
“People think that once they delete a photo or video off their device it’s gone forever, that’s not always the case.”
Rule 5 Don’t believe everyone is who they say they are Apps like Tinder and Okcupid can be fun ways to meet new people, but we’ve all seen what happens on the show Catfish. “Online dating is a popular channel for what we call ‘sextortion’,” says Emma. “You start chatting with someone, then personal photos and details are exchanged. The next thing you know, you’re being held ransom and the person is demanding an ewallet deposit or they’ll leak everything online – it’s really as simple as that,” she explains.
Be suspicious of everyone, and only meet in public until you can verify that the person is who they claim to be. Rule 6 Turn off location services “Unless you’re using apps like Uber, Google Maps and others that inherently rely on it, make sure your location services are turned off,” Sarah explains. Social platforms are able to trace where and when posts are made, and if you’re telling everyone where you are all the time, you’re making it easier for a possible stalker to trace your movements. Remember: not everyone who likes your pictures is an admirer of your ‘OOTD’. There are real predators out there, hiding behind fake accounts, waiting for an opportunity. If you want to floss to your followers about being at the trendiest spots in town, it’s safer to do so once you have already left that particular place.