Social media apps are fun, a great distraction, and a good way to express yourself creatively or keep in touch with others. But they’re also a few other things, in many cases: battery-draining, storage-sucking, and a security risk.
You may find that the benefits of social media apps outweigh any negatives — and that’s a valid subjective opinion that shouldn’t be dismissed. But if you are the type who has a number of apps on your iPhone — Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and more — you may be interested in knowing which is the biggest security risk, just in case you do decide to slim down your apps for the sake of protecting your data. Johan Alexander, CEO at APKCima, warns that this is the scary reason you may want to delete this social media app (or, at the very least, make some adjustments to ensure you are better protected).
There are so many social media apps, but the most famous worldwide is Facebook, Alexander says, and this is the reason why Facebook is also the riskiest in terms of data privacy and security.
“Facebook also has a very bad reputation in terms of data privacy and security,” Alexander says. “The app collects vast amounts of personal data, which can be used for targeted advertising, and its complex privacy settings may result in the unintentional sharing of personal information.”
How can one continue using the risky app while protecting data and privacy?
If users are willing to choose or continue using Facebook or any other risky app, Alexander says it’s a good idea to follow these steps to enhance their data and privacy protection:
Review privacy settings: Review them regularly or periodically and customize privacy settings to limit data sharing and visibility to other users.
Fewer data shared: Avoid sharing personal information which includes locations.
Limit app permissions: Carefully manage the permissions granted to the app.
Two-factor authentication: Implement two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to the account.
Third-party apps: Avoid granting access to unnecessary third-party apps or services connected to the social media platform.
What is the least risky social media app?
If Facebook is the most risky social media apps, which ranks as the least?
“Signal is often regarded as one of the least risky social media apps from a privacy and security standpoint,” Alexander says. “Known for its end-to-end encryption, Signal provides secure messaging and calling features, ensuring that only the intended recipients can access the content. In addition to this, the signal has a strong track record of prioritizing user privacy and actively working to protect user data.”
If you’re on the fence about deleting Facebook, thinking about the ways doing so can protect your data may make the choice for you. And, if you’re not quite there yet — take Alexander’s recommended steps to keep yourself better protected.
