TechCrunch reports that a number of high profile business executives cluelessly accepted a Facebook friend request from someone impersonating Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, this weekend. The report also highlights privacy issues arising from the lack of e-mail authentication required to create a new account on Facebook.
An unrelated study shows that 82% of babies under the age of 2 in Western countries already have a social media presence thanks to their photos having been uploaded by others, often not their parents.
Both stories serve as a useful reminder that we should all do more to protect our private data online.
The rules are simple. Lock down your social media privacy settings to a point where you’re happy that your data and identity will not be accessible to undesirables. And, if you’re responsible for children, you need to do the same for them to help keep them safe.