How to make your social media posts truly private

This updated article (originally published February 16, 2017) explores privacy settings on major social media platforms. Understanding these controls is crucial for managing who sees your posts and photos.

Securing Your Facebook Posts

Facebook offers granular control over post visibility. Each post includes an audience selector (usually defaulting to "Friends"). This allows you to specify who sees your content: public, specific friends, or even just yourself. You can also create custom friend lists (accessible via the web browser: Friends > Custom Lists > Create List) for more tailored sharing. While Facebook's data practices may be debated, its audience selection tools are robust. Remember, chosen audience settings (e.g., "work friends") persist until changed. Tagging others expands visibility to their friends, and posts on others' profiles are governed by their settings, not yours. Profile pictures remain public by default; use the profile menu (three dots) and "View As" to check public visibility and adjust settings as needed.

Instagram and Twitter Privacy: Public vs. Private

Instagram and Twitter offer less granular control than Facebook; accounts are either public or private. Public accounts are fully visible to anyone. To make your account private:

• Twitter (web/app): Navigate to Settings & Privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience and tagging, and enable "Protect your Tweets."
• Instagram (app): Access your profile, tap the menu (three lines), go to Settings > Privacy, and enable "Private Account."

Private accounts require approval for new followers. Existing followers retain access. Note that some functionality is limited with private accounts (e.g., retweeting private tweets).

Exceptions: Instagram's "Close Friends" list allows Story posts (24-hour content) to a selected group. Twitter lets you restrict replies to followers, mentions, or everyone. For Twitter, this option is below the tweet text field.

TikTok Privacy Controls

TikTok blends aspects of other platforms. To make your entire TikTok account private:

• Go to your Profile, tap the menu (three lines), select Settings and privacy > Privacy, and enable "Private account."

This requires approval for new followers; existing followers remain. You can also manage comments and interactions from this screen. Individual video privacy is controlled during posting; choose "Who can watch this video" and select "Everyone," "Friends," or "Only me."

Important Note: Even with these settings, screenshots remain a possibility. True online privacy is an ongoing challenge.

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