5 Tips To Protect Your Identity And Privacy On Twitter

by Karan Goel

After the two hacking attacks on Twitter, the concern for the sensitive material for users has increased! Other than that there are phishing scams, government security lapses, and people getting fired because of tweeting.

Here are 5 rock-solid tips you Must be following in order to protect your Twitter Account’s identity and privacy.

Here are 5 rock-solid tips you Must be following in order to protect your Twitter Account’s identity and privacy.

#1 Personal Information IS Personal

This has to be the primitive and the most important tip and cannot be stressed enough. Never share your email, personal or business address, telephone numbers, etc. on Twitter unless you are absolutely sure what you are doing.

Geotagging is an optional Twitter feature that makes your exact location public. If you do not wish to automatically broadcast your physical location, make sure that the setting is disabled in your Twitter settings.

#2 Change Passwords Regularly

Automated bots are used by hackers to gain access to your Twitter account. Use strong passwords and keep changing your password every 4-6 weeks to ensure maximum safety.

#3 Switch To Private Account

If you are using Twitter to communicate among a chosen group of friends, colleagues, or family, consider making your Twitter feed private. This can also be a recommended option for youngsters on Twitter. To make an account private, go to your Twitter Settings, and select the “Protect my tweets” option.

#4 Block And Report Spam

If you receive spam via @replies, block and report the account as spam. Many Twitter clients let you do that from within their interface. You can follow the Twitter Spam account and send a direct message with the name of the account to report a spammer. Manage your followers and friends as discussed in 12 Solid Tips to Enhance Your Twitter Reputation to reduce your spam.

#5 Respect Twitter Limits

Ensure that you adhere to Twitter’s Best Practices for Following Limits. These are especially important when using automated tools to tweet or follow/unfollow users. Violating follow limit rules may lead to suspension of your Twitter account. The key limits to be aware of are:

• Limit of maximum 1000 tweets and 250 DMs per day.
• Aggressively following or unfollowing hundreds of users within a day can lead to account suspension.
• You need sufficient followers before you can follow more than 2000 users.

Do not use any service or application that promises to get you “hundreds of followers quickly”. These are guaranteed ways of making your Twitter account suspicious and lead to your account being suspended.

Are there any other tips we missed? Will these help you to keep your Twitter account safe? Shout out in the comments!