Keeping your Social Media Profiles Private and Safe

Staying safe online is important for everyone. Below you will find out how to keep your social media profiles private and safe when you're online.

Making your Facebook profile private

How do I make my profile private?

• Click on the drop-down arrow in the top right-hand corner of Facebook

• Click on "Settings".

• Click on "Privacy".

• In the "Who can see my stuff?" section, make sure that you have selected "Friends" for "Who can see your future posts?" and "Who can see your friends list?". You can do this by clicking on the "Edit" links and selecting "Friends" from the options.

• In "Who can contact me?" you can decide who can send you friend requests. You have the option of leaving this open to "Everyone" or just "Friends of friends".

• In the "Who can look me up?" section, you can choose who can find you using your email address and phone number. We recommend that you change this to either "Friends" or "Friends of friends."

• The final question on the page asks if you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile. Click on "Edit" and change this to "No."

Why do I need to make my profile private?

We want to make sure that you are safe. By making your profile private you can prevent anyone (apart from your friends!) from accessing your information.

Making your Instagram profile private

How do I make my profile private?

• Tap the profile icon on the far right of the lower menu.

• Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of your profile to access your settings. Under the Account heading about halfway down your screen, you'll see an option labeled Private Account with an on/off button.

• Tap the button so that it slides over to the color blue. As long as the Private Account option is on, only the users who are currently following you, plus any new users you approve if they request to follow you, will be able to see your Instagram content.

As long as the Private Account option is on, only the users who are currently following you, plus any new users you approve if they request to follow you, will be able to see your Instagram content.

Making your Twitter profile private

How to protect your tweets:

From the web:

• Go to your Privacy and safety settings.

• In the Tweet privacy section, check the box next to Protect my Tweets.

• Click the Save button at the bottom of the page. You will be prompted to enter your password to confirm the change.

From an iOS device:

• In the top menu, tap your profile icon, then tap Settings and privacy.

• Tap Privacy and safety.

• Under Tweets, and next to Protect your Tweets, drag the slider to turn on.