Every search we make gives Google another glimpse into what interests us, what ads to show us, and so on. Did you know that when you search for a flight on several websites over a few days, the price goes up, not because of increased demand, but because the websites know that we've already visited them, that these dates and destinations are interesting to us, and that a few dollars increase probably won't stop us from completing the booking.
This doesn't mean we can't protect ourselves. Google itself provides some privacy protection tools (mainly on other websites).
Using the Chrome browser in Incognito mode prevents the saving of cookies that allow different websites to identify us, thus allowing us to protect our privacy, even on Google
Facebook and its parent company Meta, have insights to the thoughts and actions of billions of people worldwide, and while understanding how marketers on various platforms use these insights to influence us is important, the fact is that lack of awareness and privacy settings, expose many users to online and real-life threats.
When we write personal matters in a group of 100,000 people, we don't know who will see it, who will pass it on.
When you share a status, you can (and should) edit who will see it - everyone (public), friends only, selected groups.
Consider setting your profile as private.
Beyond that - use your judgment, if it's been uploaded to the network, it's no longer yours
Followers are the holy grail in Instagram, and the more, the better – or is it?
If the goal is to become an influencer – then growing your followers is definitely part of the game, but for users who prefer to maintain their personal boundaries even online – it is recommended that they go into the profile settings and set it as a private profile, so only those you have approved as followers will be able to see your posts.
You can change your privacy setting or use separated accounts for your private and public profiles. That's what I do - I have a private account only with my close friends and family, and a public account to share cybersecurity tips, tricks, stories and insights (and yes, I do invite you to follow me :) )
TikTok and similar apps have been sweeping teenagers for several years with short videos, viral challenges, and cool filters.
But, TikTok is known for its severe privacy issues. Starting with being a fertile ground for harassers looking for young kids, through dangerous challenges, and accusations of being a Chinese spyware app that collects various data on its users.
If you choose to use the app - it is recommended to set the privacy settings so that at least only those you have approved can view you.
Since the app does not offer online guides for privacy settings, here is an article compiled by the Kaspersky security company on the subject.