Social media posts live on after you delete

Country manager of Alcatel OneTouch Southern Africa, Ernst Wittmann said, “Social media tools are great for sharing your life and your thoughts with your friends, but be alert to dangers such as cyberbullying, fraud and damage to your reputation as you use these powerful tools.”

Alcatel’s social media safety tips for Smartphone users:

•  There is no delete button: What you post on the internet can stay online forever. Even if you delete it, someone else might have captured a screenshot, saved or shared the data already.
•  Be careful when accepting friend requests from people you don’t know in real life: Although it might give your ego a boost to feel popular, sharing too much information with virtual friends can compromise your security.
•  Don’t open untrusted links and promotions: If your mother is sending you links to Russian brides or weight loss tips, she has probably been hacked.
•  Protect your cellphone with a pin or password: An identity thief can have a field day with your social media accounts, protect your information by locking access to your device with a pin or password. Ensure your device does not automatically remember your login and password.
•  Use the privacy settings which meet your needs: Social networks such as Facebook gives you granular control over who can see your posts, who they may share them with, who may send you friend requests or personal messages and so on. Make sure applications you use don’t have permission to automatically post updates or share Twitter and links to your Facebook profile.
•  Don’t give out personal information: Be suspicious of anyone who asks you online for your personal information.
•  Install an anti-virus application on your device: Your Smartphone can scan for malware, but an anti-virus app can give you a little more peace of mind.

Details: www.alcatelonetouch.com