Cybersecurity on Social Media: What You're Sharing Without Realizing

Insights For Youth

Cybersecurity on Social Media: What You're Sharing Without Realizing

Written By: Kunal Kumar September 5, 2026

Introduction

Social media has become a normal part of everyday life. We share photos, celebrate birthdays, talk about our interests, post about school, tag locations, and interact with friends. Most of these things seem harmless when looked at separately. However, small pieces of information can become much more revealing when they are combined.

For example, one photograph might show a school uniform, another post might reveal someone's birthday, and a location tag could show where they spend time. Together, these details can provide a surprisingly clear picture of a person. This creates an important cybersecurity question: How much information are we sharing without realizing it?

This topic matters because online privacy is not only about keeping passwords secret. It is also about understanding our digital footprint, recognizing how information can be misused, and making better decisions about what we share.

The Digital Footprint We Create

A digital footprint is the information we leave behind through our online activities. Some of this information is posted intentionally, while other information can be collected or inferred from our activity.

Photos are a good example. A person may upload a normal picture without noticing that the background contains a school name, street sign, computer screen, document, or recognizable location. The National Institute of Standards and Technology explains that photographs and other online content can unintentionally reveal sensitive information that may later be useful for social engineering (National Institute of Standards and Technology).

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also recommends being careful about information such as locations, travel plans, birthdays, and other personal details. Information that seems unimportant by itself can become more useful when someone combines it with other publicly available information (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency).

This is sometimes similar to putting together a puzzle. One piece may not tell us much, but several pieces can reveal a much larger picture.

This does not mean that every social media post is dangerous. Instead, it means that people should think about the overall picture their public information creates.

When Information Becomes a Security Risk

One important way personal information can be misused is through social engineering. Instead of directly attacking a computer system, social engineering involves manipulating people into revealing information or taking an action.

Beyond the technical risk, these situations can also affect how people feel online. Repeated exposure to scams, impersonation attempts, or unwanted data use can make users less confident about who they can trust online.

Real-world example: The 2020 Twitter attack

In July 2020, attackers gained access to Twitter's internal systems through a combination of techniques that included social engineering. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, around 130 Twitter accounts were compromised. Some belonged to well-known public figures. The attackers then used compromised accounts as part of a cryptocurrency scam (United States Department of Justice).

This case shows why cybersecurity is not only a technical issue. Information about people can make deception more convincing, while human decisions can become an important part of an attack.

Real-world example: Cambridge Analytica and Facebook

Another major example involved Facebook data and Cambridge Analytica. The Federal Trade Commission found that Cambridge Analytica used deceptive methods to obtain Facebook user data and use it for voter profiling and targeting (Federal Trade Commission, “Cambridge Analytica”).

The case demonstrated that information shared through social media can have uses beyond what users originally expected. It also raised wider questions about consent, data collection, and how companies handle personal information.

These examples show that privacy risks can come from both what users share and what platforms or other organizations do with information.

What Can Users Do?

Although these examples may sound serious, there are simple ways users can reduce unnecessary risks.

First, think before posting. Ask yourself what a stranger could learn from the post. Before uploading a photograph, look at the background for documents, screens, addresses, school information, or recognizable locations.

Second, avoid sharing unnecessary details about daily routines, exact locations, or future travel plans. Sharing that you are away from home, for example, may reveal more than you intended.

Third, regularly check your privacy settings. Understand who can view your posts, contact you, or interact with your account.

Fourth, be careful with unexpected messages and links. A message can contain information about you and still not be genuine. Familiar details should not automatically make a message trustworthy.

Finally, use multifactor authentication on important accounts. It provides an additional layer of protection if someone manages to obtain your password.

There is also a wider issue of children's and teenagers' privacy. In 2024, the FTC and U.S. Department of Justice sued TikTok and ByteDance, alleging violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The complaint alleged that information relating to children under 13 was collected and used without the required parental consent (Federal Trade Commission, “TikTok and ByteDance”). Because this was a legal complaint, these were allegations rather than a final court finding.

The case highlights why young users should understand not only what they post but also how online platforms collect and handle personal information.

Conclusion

Social media itself is not the problem. It allows people to communicate, learn, express themselves, and build communities. The important issue is being aware of the information we leave behind.

A photograph, location tag, or casual post may seem insignificant on its own. However, several small details can create a much more detailed picture of a person. Real cases involving Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok show that online information can become connected to security, privacy, and data-use concerns.

The goal should not be to stop sharing everything. Instead, we should share more consciously. Good cybersecurity begins with a simple habit: before posting, stop and think about what the information might reveal—not only today, but also when combined with everything else already available online.

Works Cited

MLA Format

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Online Privacy.” U.S. Department of Homeland Security, https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Online-Privacy-Tip-Sheet-122019-508.pdf

Federal Trade Commission. “FTC Investigation Leads to Lawsuit Against TikTok and ByteDance for Flagrantly Violating Children’s Privacy Law.” 2 Aug. 2024, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/ftc-investigation-leads-lawsuit-against-tiktok-bytedance-flagrantly-violating-childrens-privacy-law.

Federal Trade Commission. “FTC Issues Opinion and Order Against Cambridge Analytica for Deceiving Consumers About Collection of Facebook Data.” 6 Dec. 2019, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/12/ftc-issues-opinion-order-against-cambridge-analytica-deceiving-consumers-about-collection-facebook.

National Institute of Standards and Technology. “Maintaining Your Online Privacy.” U.S. Department of Commerce, 28 May 2021, https://www.nist.gov/blogs/manufacturing-innovation-blog/maintaining-your-online-privacy.

United States Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California. “Three Individuals Charged for Alleged Roles in Twitter Hack.” 31 July 2020, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/three-individuals-charged-alleged-roles-twitter-hack.