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Social Media Privacy Checkup: What You're Really Sharing

Scute Team January 2, 2026

Quick quiz: What was the name of your first pet? The street you grew up on? Your mother’s maiden name?

If you’ve ever posted about these on social media, congratulations—you’ve probably given away the answers to your most common security questions.

Social media feels like a private conversation with friends, but it’s often more like shouting personal details in a crowded room. Let’s fix that.

The Security Question Trap

Here’s a pattern you might recognize:

Facebook post: “Throwback to my childhood dog Buster on Maple Street! Miss you, buddy!”

Your bank’s security question: “What was your first pet’s name?” “What street did you grow up on?”

See the problem?

Scammers don’t always hack their way into accounts. Sometimes they just scroll through your Instagram until they find everything they need.

Information Scammers Love to Find

Pet names (current and past)
Schools attended
Hometown and childhood address
Mother’s maiden name
First car make/model
Wedding anniversary
Children’s names and birthdays
Favorite vacation spots
Current location (especially when traveling)

Each innocent post adds another piece to the puzzle.

What Scammers Can Do With Your Posts

1. Answer Security Questions

With your pet’s name, mother’s maiden name, and hometown, a scammer can reset passwords on accounts with weak security questions.

2. Craft Convincing Phishing Attacks

“Hi Sarah! This is Mike from Westview High School. Remember Mr. Peterson’s history class? I’m organizing a reunion…”

Personalized scams are much more effective than generic ones.

3. Clone Your Voice for AI Scams

Those videos you post? They’re voice samples. With just 3-10 seconds of audio, AI can clone your voice convincingly enough to fool your own family.

4. Build Profiles for Identity Theft

Full name + birthday + employer + hometown = enough for some forms of identity theft.

5. Know When to Rob Your House

“So excited for our two-week vacation in Hawaii starting tomorrow!” is basically a “Nobody Home” sign for burglars.

Your 10-Minute Privacy Checkup

Let’s audit your main social media accounts. Set a timer—this should take about 10 minutes.

Step 1: Check Who Can See Your Posts (2 minutes)

Facebook:

Go to Settings > Privacy
Under “Your Activity,” click “Who can see your future posts?”
Change to “Friends” (not “Public”)
Click “Limit Past Posts” to apply this to old posts too

Instagram:

Go to Settings > Privacy
Toggle “Private Account” to ON
Under “Story,” review who can see and reply

X (Twitter):

Go to Settings > Privacy and safety
Consider “Protect your posts” for a private account
Review “Discoverability and contacts”

Step 2: Review Your Profile Information (2 minutes)

Look at what’s publicly visible on your profile:

Birthday (consider hiding the year, or making it friends-only)
Hometown
Current city
Employer
Phone number (remove it!)
Email address (use a secondary email if you must list one)

Ask yourself: Does a stranger need to know this? If not, hide it or remove it.

Step 3: Audit Your Photos and Posts (3 minutes)

Scroll through recent posts and ask:

Does this reveal my location or daily routine?
Does this include information that could answer security questions?
Are there photos of documents, mail, or ID cards?
Can you see my house number, car license plate, or other identifiers?

Quick wins:

Delete posts about your exact address or workplace
Remove photos showing ID cards, tickets, or boarding passes
Untag yourself from posts revealing your location in real-time

Step 4: Check Third-Party App Access (2 minutes)

Over the years, you’ve probably connected dozens of apps to your social accounts. Time to clean house.

Facebook: Settings > Security and Login > Apps and Websites > Remove apps you don’t use

Instagram: Settings > Security > Apps and Websites > Remove unused connections

Google: myaccount.google.com/security > Third-party apps with account access > Review and remove

Step 5: Enable Security Features (1 minute)

While you’re in settings, make sure these are enabled:

Two-factor authentication (see our guide!)
Login alerts (get notified when someone logs in)
Unrecognized login protection

Platform-Specific Tips

Facebook

Hide your friends list: Settings > Privacy > “Who can see your friends list?” Set to “Only Me”

Review tags before they appear: Settings > Profile and Tagging > Enable tag review

Check what others see: Settings > Privacy > “View As” to see your public profile

Instagram

Control story sharing: Settings > Privacy > Story > Disable “Allow Sharing”

Limit comments: Settings > Privacy > Comments > Filter offensive comments

Hide activity status: Settings > Privacy > Activity Status > Turn off

Be especially careful here—LinkedIn is a goldmine for scammers because people share so much professional detail.

Limit profile visibility: Settings > Visibility > Edit your public profile > Limit what’s shown

Hide connections: Settings > Visibility > “Who can see your connections” > Only you

TikTok

Private account: Settings > Privacy > Private Account (ON)

Disable downloads: Prevent others from downloading your videos

Limit comments: Settings > Privacy > Comments > Friends only

Location data is particularly dangerous. Here’s how to handle it:

Don’t Post in Real-Time

Instead of posting “Beautiful sunset from my hotel in Paris!” while you’re there, save it for when you’re home.

Disable Photo Location Data

Your photos contain hidden metadata including exact GPS coordinates.

iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera > Never

Android: Camera app settings > turn off “Save location”

Be Vague About Routine

Don’t post:

Your daily commute route
The gym you go to every morning
Your kids’ school pickup times
Regular weekly activities with locations

If you have teens on social media:

Have the conversation — Explain that strangers can piece together information from posts
Set accounts to private — Make it a house rule
Review their profiles — Help them identify risky information
Discuss what not to share — Location, school name, daily routines
Lead by example — They’re watching what you post too

What to Do About Old Posts

You have years of posts out there. Here’s how to handle them:

Option 1: Bulk Privacy Change

Most platforms let you change old posts’ privacy settings in bulk. Use it.

Option 2: Download and Review

Download your data archive (available on most platforms), review what’s there, and delete concerning posts.

Option 3: Start Fresh

Some people create new accounts with better privacy habits. It’s a valid option.

The “So What?” Test

Before posting anything, ask yourself:

So what if a stranger sees this?
So what if this never gets deleted?
So what if my employer sees this?
So what if a scammer uses this information?

If any answer makes you uncomfortable, reconsider posting.

Your Privacy Checkup Checklist

Do this today:

Set all accounts to Friends/Followers only
Remove birthday year and phone number from profiles
Enable 2FA on all social accounts
Review and remove third-party app access

Do this week:

Audit recent photos for sensitive information
Review your public profile as a stranger would see it
Turn off location data in your camera app
Delete posts revealing security question answers

Do monthly:

Review new third-party app connections
Check tagged photos
Update privacy settings after platform changes

The Bottom Line

Social media is designed to get you to share. But every piece of information you post is potentially available to scammers, stalkers, and identity thieves.

You don’t have to delete your accounts or stop posting altogether. You just need to be intentional about what you share and who can see it.

Take 10 minutes today for a privacy checkup. Your future self will thank you.

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Social Media Privacy Checkup: What You’re Really Sharing