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Best Practices for Using Social Media (For CSE Students)

Use social media smartly to protect your privacy, follow cyber laws, and respect intellectual property. The tips below help you stay safe, professional, and legally compliant online.

1. Secure Your Accounts

• Use strong, unique passwords and a trusted password manager.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all platforms.
• Review connected apps and revoke unused permissions regularly.
• Log out on shared devices and avoid saving passwords on public systems.

2. Control Your Privacy

• Check privacy settings often; default settings may be public.
• Share minimal personal data (avoid IDs, phone numbers, schedules, and exact locations).
• Turn off geotagging for sensitive posts and locations.
• Use separate profiles for personal and professional presence if needed.

3. Think Before You Post

• Assume everything online is permanent and can be screenshotted.
• Use the “front-page test”: is it okay if this appears on the news tomorrow?
• Verify information before sharing to avoid spreading misinformation.
• Be respectful; avoid defamation, hate speech, harassment, or trolling.

4. Respect Intellectual Property (IP)

• Share only what you created or have permission/licensing to use.
• Follow license terms (e.g., Creative Commons) and give credit when required.
• Never upload pirated software, movies, or paid course material.
• Do not misuse trademarks, logos, or copyrighted music in posts.

5. Follow Cyber Laws and Platform Rules

• Do not post confidential data, personal data of others, or trade secrets.
• Avoid impersonation, stalking, doxxing, or cyberbullying.
• Report illegal or harmful content using official platform tools.
• Know that violations can lead to account bans, legal action, or academic penalties.

6. Guard Against Scams and Malware

• Beware of phishing links, fake giveaways, and urgent money requests.
• Verify profiles before engaging; watch for newly created or suspicious accounts.
• Do not install unknown apps or browser extensions; check permissions.
• Keep your OS, browser, and apps updated to fix security vulnerabilities.

7. Build a Professional Digital Footprint

• Share projects, open-source contributions, hackathon wins, and blogs.
• Clean up old posts that may hurt your reputation.
• Use professional networks with real names and accurate profiles.

8. Handle Academic and Workplace Content Carefully

• Do not share assignment answers, exam questions, or proprietary code.
• Use private repositories for team projects and set clear licenses.
• Respect internship/company NDAs and internal policies.

9. Respect Consent and Safety

• Get consent before posting or tagging people in photos/videos.
• Blur or avoid sharing faces/IDs of minors and bystanders.
• Do not post sensitive images of accidents, hospitals, or emergencies.

10. Know What to Do in an Incident

• If your account is compromised, change passwords, revoke active sessions, and enable 2FA.
• Report abuse, fake accounts, or IP infringement through official channels.
• Keep screenshots, URLs, and timestamps as evidence when needed.

Quick 10-Second Checklist Before Posting

Identity: Could this harm my reputation or someone else’s?
Legality: Any IP, defamation, privacy, or policy risks?
Privacy: Am I exposing personal data or live location?
Permission: Do I have consent or a proper license?
Permanence: Is it okay if this stays online forever?

Safe and Smart Alternatives

• Use royalty-free or licensed media from trusted libraries; credit when required.
• Share official links instead of re-uploading copyrighted content.
• Use link previews or scanners to check unknown URLs before clicking.

Following these best practices keeps you compliant with cyber laws, protects intellectual property, and helps you maintain a safe, professional presence on social media.