No matter what you are doing online, it’s important to set and revisit your privacy settings on a regular basis. Read below to learn some important tips and tools for maintaining your privacy while online. You can also visit BLOOM’s Safety & Privacy page for specific privacy setting instructions for some of today’s most popular social apps and games.

Social Media

• Make your accounts private.
• Use your privacy settings to control and manage your updates and audiences to increase your freedom around being your authentic self, online.
• All networking platforms have options for privatizing and limiting messages, use them to target your posts to appropriate audiences.
• You are who you network with; friend and follow only people you want to be associated with.

Screen Time

• Do not share passwords with anyone except your caregiver(s). This includes friends: yes, even your best one and the one you are dating.
• Do not give out personal information to anyone online, including your full name, address, passwords, phone number, social security number, or credit card numbers (or anyone else’s).
• Many apps have location sharing on by default, allowing anyone else with the app to see what you’re up to and where you are — this is very dangerous.

Gaming

• Make your accounts private.
• Keep your volume low enough for no one else but you to hear your game, video, conversation, or song.
• Keep in mind that even with the best privacy settings, your posts may be seen by people who don’t ask, need, or want to see it.
• Blocking allows you to defuse a situation, without aggravating it or changing the course of history, plus your karma and reputation will stay intact.