Secure your social media
Make sure it is safe before you start the step-by-step guide
Remember that some actions you take to increase your security or privacy might alert an abuser, and they might escalate their abusive behaviour.
If you haven’t yet, read our Safety information.
Steps to secure your social media
- If you’re worried someone is monitoring your phone, use a safer device to contact Refuge’s 24hr National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Freephone) on 0808 2000 247. A safer device might be another phone from a trusted friend, family, or a neighbour, or a computer in a library, school, or workplace.
- Check who has accessed your account and remove any unwanted devices or people.
- Adjust your security and privacy settings:
- Change the password and set up two-factor authentication .
- Check the email and/or phone number for your account. It’s best to use separate emails for social media, banking, work, dating, and other purposes.
- Turn off location sharing.
- Review your profile information and who has access to it.
- You may also be able to adjust privacy settings for every post.
- Review your list of connections and remove anyone you don’t trust.
- Log out of your account and apps each time.
- Keep a record of abusive posts and comments by taking screenshots, noting the username or web address of the person, and noting the date and time. You can also report or block posts, comments or people.
Note: Blocking someone will not always stop them from seeing your posts. Also, some people find it helpful to stay connected to an abusive person so you can see what they are posting, in case it’s dangerous or offensive.
- If someone has hacked or taken over your account, you can find out what to do in the social media company’s “help” or “support” page.
Social media security basics
Social media is meant to be social. Your profile, posts, pictures, and location may be visible to other people.
This means that even people you are not connected to may be able to see your information and activity. You can make choices in your privacy settings, but some information may always be public.
Social media groups and pages may be open to anyone, even if they seem private.
This means that what you post or share in those groups could be seen by the abusive person, or other people you know.
Social media accounts let you connect accounts.
For example, your dating profile may be connected to your social media.
This means that if someone can access one account, they may have access to other accounts.