Protect your personal data - protect yourself

More and more young people use photographs and videos to communicate. Many social media applications and services have become extremely popular in recent years as they allow users to create, edit and share photographs and video easily. Millions of photographs are shared online every day by people of all ages. However, youngsters often share without considering the consequences of making public everything they do, where they are, who they are with, and how they feel. What is more, many parents thoughtlessly post photographs of their children on social media without realising what problems this might cause to their children's lives.

28 January is Data Privacy Day and it is imperative, now more than ever, as EU member states must harmonise their national law with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by 6 May 2018. The objective of this new set of rules is to give citizens back control over their personal data, and to simplify the regulatory environment for business. The data protection reform is a key enabler of the Digital Single Market which the Commission has prioritised. The reform will allow European citizens and businesses to fully benefit from the digital economy. Under the new EU law, personal data can only be gathered legally under strict conditions, for a legitimate purpose. Furthermore, persons or organisations which collect and manage your personal information must protect it from misuse and must respect certain rights of the data owners which are guaranteed by EU law.

How we unwillingly reveal personal data
We upload photographs and videos for various reasons. However, more often than not, a photo we have uploaded in an effort to "get likes" could put us at risk. One photograph alone could give away where we live, which school we go to, where we hang out and who we hang out with and several other pieces of information that we wouldn't normally reveal to a stranger. Furthermore, when we intend to post a photograph which depicts others, it is MANDATORY that we ask their permission. It is also very important to realise that checking in a place or sharing our location provides people who might want to hurt us with the opportunity to do so.

TIPS to protect your data

• Be mindful about posting personal information: Posting personal information such as your full name, address, phone number, school, email address, or photos on portals and forums can reveal your identity to strangers and put your safety at risk.
   
• Ask yourself why you should give your personal information: Who wants it? Is it someone you trust? How are they going to use it? Are they going to share it with others? And if so, with whom? If you are not certain about any of the above ask and learn before sharing your information.
   
• Trust your instincts: If you are not certain about the safety of a page or you are not comfortable with the way your personal data is going to be used, just leave the page.
   
• Remember to log out from pages you have used your password to log in to.
   
• Keep your computer safe: Use an antivirus program and a firewall and keep them up to date.
   
• Do not answer chain email. Even with PC security, some chain email forwarded by your friends might ask for personal information. Do not download files unless you know the content of the file and know that it is secure.
   
• Check your social media privacy settings: Change all settings to "Friends Only" for all posts for a more secure profile.
   
• Ask friends not to post photos of you or your family without your permission. At the same time, refrain from tagging friends in photos or videos online.
   
• Keep in mind that technology itself is not dangerous. Human behavior is.

SO, THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU POST!

Find out more about the Greek Safer Internet Centre, including its Help-line, SafeLine and youth participation services.