6 Top Tips for Sharing Your Vacation Pictures on Social Media
Reading Time: 3 minutesYou don’t want to invite thieves to your home when you’re away.
Taking a vacation and posting about it seem to go hand-in-hand these days. While it is tempting to post all about your whereabouts, it’s not always wise to do so. There are some things you can share with your social networks, and there are some things that are better to keep private. Let’s take a look at things you shouldn’t post about your vacation.
1. Don’t Check In
There’s nothing more exciting than checking in at the airport just before flying out to your desired destination. However, checking in compromises your privacy in a big way. If you think your post is shown only to your friends and contacts, think again.
No matter what your privacy settings are, there’s always a chance that a friend left their social media open, and someone could be looking at it. Checking in, allows thieves to plan their next move, so it’s best to steer clear of giving your exact location on social media.
2. Don’t Talk About Upcoming Travel Plans
Everyone loves to plan ahead and count down to the day they go on vacation. It might be difficult not to talk about how excited you are about your trip, but posting about your upcoming travel plans leaves you vulnerable to potential robberies and attacks.
You might have prepped your home for your summer vacation by making it more secure, but what if thieves plan on waiting for you at your destination? It’s best to keep bragging about where you’re going to a minimum, or if you really can’t help yourself, share the wrong dates.
3. Never Share Photos of Tickets and Passports
This may seem like an obvious thing not to do, but you’ll be surprised by how many people have shared private information such as boarding passes and tickets online.
Any type of document with personal information on it should never be posted to social media sites. Details like that could compromise your privacy and make it easy for scammers to steal your identity or use your details for fraudulent purposes.
Likewise, if you take photos with your phone of your passport and boarding pass, be sure to delete them straight after using them in case you lose your phone.
When it comes to storing your photos, there are lots of ways to keep your digital photos secure on vacation. So if you’re worried about losing anything while away, be sure to always have a backup plan.
4. Review Your Privacy Settings
If you’re traveling with friends and know there are going to be some memorable moments on the road, make sure that you check your privacy settings on social media. For example, if your tag settings allow for everyone to tag you in photos without your approval, you are giving up control of what other people post about you online.
Make sure that you review your settings so that any post you are tagged in needs your approval first. Likewise, if you tag others, and they haven’t reviewed their tag settings, ask them if you can tag them in case they forgot to review them. With anything you share on social media with people in it, make sure that the people are okay with you sharing it.
5. Post After Your Vacation
The fun might be over, but posting your photos to social media when you’re back gives you more safety and more privacy. Not only will thieves be thrown off track, but you’ll also be spared from questioning in case you didn’t give your employer the exact dates.
6. Be Aware That Your Photos Have Geo Tags
When you take a photo of a delicious meal in a restaurant or in front of a landmark, be aware that your photos have geotagged information that is stored in the metadata of the photo. What this means is that your photos have GPS information that reveals when and where you took them.
While many social media sites don’t disclose this type of information, some websites and apps do, so it’s always important to double-check before you post pictures online.
Put Safety Before the Urge to Share
Knowing when and what to share on social media while on vacation is paramount when it comes to your privacy. By being aware of the way your information is used and stored whenever you post, you’ll be able to make the right decisions before you decide to share your whereabouts online.