Social media app developers change or update their privacy and security settings from time to time, making them harder to find. ESET Turkey Product and Marketing Manager Can Erginkurban listed some important settings that need to be done on Instagram in its current state.
Instagram is a very common way to share photos with friends, family and other people if you want, but it comes with privacy and security risks. You can take advantage of Instagram by protecting yourself and your privacy as much as possible.
First step password security
Under the Profile tab, access the Settings and Security section. As with every online account, password/password security is one of the most important steps in Instagram. Set a unique and hard-to-guess password. Be especially careful not to have a password that you use on your other online accounts. Make sure to enable Two-factor authentication in case your password has been compromised.
Phishing emails
We receive emails from many platforms, apps and websites. These e-mails can be invoices or payment receipts, as well as informative e-mails about various services and services. However, cyber attackers can step in at this point and send e-mails that appear to be real but aim to deceive the user and steal their data. Instagram developers have developed some kind of precaution to prevent such frauds. In the security section, you can actually see the emails sent by Instagram. Thus, when you receive an e-mail from Instagram asking you to provide your information in your mailbox, you can open the Instagram application on your phone and verify whether it is really sent by Instagram.
Requests via DM
With Instagram's direct message feature, you can receive a number of requests that appear to be sent by Instagram. You may be asked to fill out a form, enter your phone number, or change your password. Remember that Instagram never requests you via DM. Requests and warnings about your account are sent to you via e-mail. You can verify that the source of these emails is indeed Instagram, as described in the section above.
Other apps and websites linked to your Instagram account
Third-party apps that are not owned by Instagram itself can be quite dangerous. Such apps try to expand their networks by offering various tools (filters, marketing tools, etc.) for Instagram. But you should not trust these applications with your eyes closed. Their developers may be dishonest, they may try to take over your account, they may post on your behalf. You can track such third-party apps that have access to your account in the Data and History section. Make sure to remove any unauthorized or unnecessary ones. There is always a chance that the app you once used has been hacked or sold to another company.
Instagram privacy settings
Privacy is as important as the security of your presence on Instagram. Many people knowingly or unknowingly share their posts publicly. This makes your photos, videos, and profile information publicly visible. It would be wise to limit your posts and profile information so that only your close friends can see it. For this, we turn to the Privacy settings. If you are not a phenomenon or a celebrity and you only use Instagram for fun, set your account to private. In this way, only approved users will be able to see your profile and posts. But remember, all users before making this setting are considered approved. Go to Accounts You Follow at the bottom of the Privacy section and remove the ones you don't want from the Followers section.
Decide who can see your stories
Whether your profile is public or not, you can set who can see, share, or reply to your stories for different groups and followers.
Block unwanted (spam) messages
If you're bothered by spam, direct messages from your followers, or strangers adding you to strange groups, you can stop them all. Open privacy settings, select Messages and choose your request receiving options.
Hide your activity status
If you don't want your followers to know that you are online, you can hide your activity status. Go to privacy, select Activity Status and turn it off. Note that in this case, you will not be able to see the status of other users either.
Hide from some users
You can block or restrict some spammers and other unwanted users from accessing your account. Go to the profile of the user you don't want to do this, click the three dots in the upper right corner and select Block or Restrict. Followers on your restricted list can still see your photos and videos and even leave comments, but those comments are only visible to you and the commenter. Finally, don't forget to review your Facebook settings as they are closely related.
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