Social Media Safety for DV/Stalking Victims

March 12, 2014 by Teela Hart 14 Comments

Here is a list of some things you can do to try to stay safe:

• For any account that you create, use a strong password that no one could figure out and keep it private.  To read more about this, please see What safety steps should I take even if I think the abuser does NOT have access to my email account?
• Limit the amount of identifying information you use, like your birth date, address, full name, etc. (This step can also help prevent identity theft.)
• Be careful about what you post!  Consider the articles you post to your profile, the pictures you put in an online album, or any status updates that indicate where you are at the moment (such as “checking in” at a restaurant) or where you are headed (such as a vacation destination).  These types of posts can reveal a lot about you: your interests, your whereabouts, and your future plans, which can lead to someone finding you.
• Log out of your account by clicking “log out” after each session on your social media page.  Do not simply close the browser, as it does not always log you out of your account, which would then be viewable by any other user of the computer.

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