Protecting Your Privacy—Online, in apps, and in real life

Preventing Non-Consensual Tracking 

Most people are stalked by someone they know, like a current or former intimate partner, which means the apps and accounts you use everyday can be misused by that person to track your location without consent. Many apps and mobile devices use location services to track your location in real time and in the background even if you are not using the app itself. Either way, consider updating the passwords and turning on 2-factor authentication (USC uses DUO for this purpose) for the accounts, apps and devices that can be used to track your location, including: 

  • Rideshare Apps:  Uber, Lyft, etc.  

Protecting Your Personal Information 

You can limit who has access to your information online, as well as protecting your privacy from outsiders. Here are some tips to better protect yourself:  

Social Media: You have the right to protect your own privacy on social media. By using the privacy settings tools and guides that many social media sites offer, you are able to adjust what information people can access. For example, a private profile on instagram or limiting who can search for you on Facebook. For more information, you can use the following guides:  

Personal Information Online:  A lot of our personally identifying information (name, phone number, addresses, email, family members, etc.) can be found online through a simple internet search or by visiting any number of data broker sites. Here are some tips to prevent this from happening:  

  • Opt Out of Google Search:  Google now lets you remove personally identifying information from showing up when people search your name.  The instructions can be found here.  
  • Opt out of Data Broker Sites:  Paid services will remove your information from these sites for you, or you can visit each site and complete the opt process.

Safe Social Media Practices

It is very common now to connect with new people and post updates, videos, and pictures on social media platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter. However, it is important to learn how to do this safely and prevent some foreseeable challenges.  

  • Avoid sharing your exact locations in your posts, especially if you are frequently at the same location at similar times. For example, posting an instagram update with the location of your weekly class or posting restaurant locations while on vacation. Either don’t share your location at all, wait to share your location when you are no longer there, or use location tags that encompass large areas such as “Los Angeles” making it harder to track specific locations.   
  • Change your passwords and utilize password management. Security breaches are becoming more and more common. To better protect your online data from potential hackers, make sure to change your password to something strong and use different passwords for different accounts. Another option is to use a password manager if you have too many passwords. Password managers and other security tools from ITS at USC can help you seat protected and organized.
  • What does your username reveal? Personally identifying usernames such as your full legal name can be used to find more personal information about you by potential stalkers. If this is a concern, consider a username that doesn’t include your legal name. 
  • Be mindful about what you share: Sharing personal information in a post or with someone you met online (but don’t know offline) should be done mindfully as they could misuse that information to engage in stalking behavior. If possible, always consider (1) what you’re sharing, (2) how it could be used against you and (3) make an informed decision whether it’s worth it or not.  For example, posting or sharing that you’re spending the day alone at home may not be information you want strangers to know. 

Online Dating and Apps 

In the digital age, dating apps are often utilized to meet new people, go on dates, and to engage in sexual activity. Meeting new people is exciting but here are some precautions to take to keep yourself safe when meeting new people online.  

  • Meet in public for the first time. If you’ve met someone online, meet them in public first where you feel safe, and can call for help if anything goes wrong.  
  • Verify their identity. Verify that you are talking to and meeting the person that is represented in the photos on their profile. Many apps like Tinder and Bumble have verification options that can be used to confirm someone’s identity. Tinder also offers a safe background check option through Garbo.io that will let you know if the person has a criminal history of dating violence and related crimes. You can also use other functions like video chatting before a date to confirm someone’s identity. If you choose to video chat, make sure to use a blank background so the person can’t learn things about you like your location. 
  • Check social media accounts. Check their social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, to verify their identity. Look at things such as who they are following, how many photos they post and how often they post. Accounts with limited followers, posts or engagement could be fake.  
  • Share with family and friends. Before meeting in person, tell your family and friends about the person you’re talking to, including any information that might be useful in case of an emergency such as your location, the person’s identity, and your plans during the meet-up. You can also use the location sharing feature (“Safewalk”) in the Mobile Safety App powered by Livesafe to let your family and friends know where you are. 
  • Be mindful about what you share in your profile: There’s certain information you may not want strangers viewing your dating profile to know, like your social media accounts, school, work or location.  Consider limiting these from your profile and share them after you connect with someone and feel safe doing so.  

Steps for Safety  

If you or someone you know feel like you are being subjected to stalking behaviors, follow these steps for safety.  

  • Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable for any reason, whether it be in-person or online, do not hesitate to reach out for help, even if there is nothing immediately dangerous happening. 
  • Document your experiences. Documenting your experiences, especially recurring incidents can track patterns of behavior that may be useful if you decide to report or take legal action. Documentation can also help you see if things are escalating and can help with safety planning.  Always screenshot any incidents on a device like messages and posts in case you need them. Sometimes, documenting these experiences can be upsetting.  You can always ask friends, family and your support network to help document incidents so you don’t have to do it alone or re-experience painful events.   
  • Secure your accounts. If you feel someone is tracking your online activity or monitoring your phone, be sure to update the passwords and turn on two-factor authentication for apps and the account tied to the device (Apple or Google).  If you think something like stalkerware or a malicious app has been installed on your phone, conducting a factory reset on the device should remove it.
  • Have a safe location in mind in case of an emergency. You can go to places such as public locations, the police station, or places of worship. Other options include a family member’s house or a friend’s house.  
  • Know your resources. Navigating violence, abuse, and stalking can be very difficult and dangerous. Students can ask to speak to a confidential advocate in Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention in USC Student Health at 213-740-9355 (WELL). The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 is also a helpful resource to know about.