10 Social Media Privacy New Year's Resolutions

I have listed below 10 New Year's resolutions for those who want to better protect their personal privacy in the Social Media Age:

1)    Limit social sharing.  Privacy is cool and hip and sharing too much is not.
2)    Don't take nude selfies.
3)    Send fewer emails and make more phone calls and have more face to face meetings.
4)    Use disappearing apps cautiously.
5)    Keep your smartphone location off unless using it for directions.
6)    Don't trust apps or online services that have bad privacy policies/practices.
7)    Don't trust Facebook with your personal information because its agreements with data brokers destroy your privacy.
8)   Don't trust Google's Gmail, Apps, etc... because its privacy policy allows for unfettered data mining and user profile creation that destroy your privacy. 
9)    Limit Twitter and other public social media conversations.
10)  Advocate for stronger digital privacy laws.  Lawmakers and regulators need to hear your voice!  

These 10 recommendations are the tip of the ice berg.  Data brokers, employers, schools, insurance companies, financial firms, law enforcement, etc... are watching your social media profile so limit your digital footprint.  In the Social Media Age, this famous proverb should still be followed:  "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 and beyond!

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