Under the title "Facebook Privacy Under Fire: Experts Offer Survival Tips," Sky News published a report highlighting the numerous accusations directed at Facebook in recent days, suggesting that the "blue giant" prioritizes profit over user safety. Former company official Frances Haugen testified at a U.S. Senate hearing, urging action to regulate the world's largest social media platform and asking Congress to make it safer. Haugen's remarks and Facebook's recent crises have led many to question how to manage personal accounts without risk of hacking or data theft.
Information security expert Mohamed Al-Nazir states, "The confidentiality of information is a major issue that personal account users need to pay attention to, and they should avoid methods that put their personal accounts at risk, especially after the crises Facebook has faced lately." Al-Nazir continued in his conversation with Sky News Arabia: "What is happening sends a strong message to all users to avoid storing any private details or confidential information on any applications to keep the user safe."
**Survival Tips**
The information security expert offered tips to social media users, stating, "Ensure that social media platforms are not 100% safe for storing your confidential information, and make sure your passwords are filled with numbers, letters, and symbols." Al-Nazir emphasized, "Do not share any public information regarding your living arrangements, travels, or your constant whereabouts, as all this information makes hacking accounts much easier."
**Hiding Information**
Frances Haugen testified before a subcommittee on commerce, consumer protection, product safety, and data security during her first appearance since revealing several "alarming" issues about how the social media site operates. Haugen is the source behind the leak of thousands of internal research pages from Facebook to the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal. She explained that part of what Facebook does is "not illegal," as the site conceals information that could enable lawmakers to impose regulations and laws to tackle existing problems.
**Safety Recommendations**
Meanwhile, communication and information technology professor Ashraf Al-Baghdadi provided specific advice on handling social media, stating, "There are some simple details that some people like to share via their personal accounts, but they are extremely dangerous, as they can allow hackers to reach deep into their personal lives and bank accounts." Al-Baghdadi further noted in his conversation with Sky News Arabia: "The first information that should not be disclosed in personal accounts on social media is the date of birth, which is linked to the name and address of the account holder, allowing some to access the person's bank account after connecting it to their name."
The communication and information technology professor added, "Please do not post or send any personal photos of our private lives unless you are sure that the account is highly secured, due to the presence of scammers who can hack weak passwords."
**Disabling Location Services**
Al-Baghdadi continued, "It is essential to disable location services on our personal accounts, which provide additional information about your current location, home, your children's schools, and several details that may be exploited to track you for theft." He cited a well-known incident where a person announced that he would go on vacation with family, only to return and find his home had been robbed. After filing the necessary reports and contacting his insurance company, he was informed that he was at fault for what he had written about his travels, which allowed thieves to enter his home easily and rob him for hours without fear. Hence, it is crucial not to disclose any family travel plans on social media platforms.
