In today’s world, it’s easy to overshare online without thinking. The occasional selfie may be harmless, but there are certain personal details you should always keep private. To protect your privacy, we’ve gathered a number of these details you should never share publicly.
Birth Certificate
While it might not seem like a big deal, your birth certificate is a foundational document for establishing identity. Sharing this information publicly can facilitate identity theft and fraudulent activities. So, keep your birth certificate secure and only provide it when absolutely necessary, such as for official verification purposes.
Detailed Travel Plans
Anyone who shares details of their travel plans online is making a big mistake. Shockingly, criminals could be watching out for such information, and they’ll learn exactly when you will be away from home. This can increase your risk of burglary, so save sharing your vacation pictures until you’re home.
Medical Records
If you share sensitive information about your health history, you could expose yourself to privacy violations and potential discrimination, including from your employer. Only share such details with healthcare providers and trusted individuals involved in your care. Anyone else just doesn’t need this information.
Home Address
It’s never smart to reveal your home address to the public, as this could expose you to various risks, including theft, harassment, junk mail, and unwanted visitors. Protect your home and personal safety by keeping your address private. If you need public correspondence service, just use a P.O. box.
Banking Information
Sensitive financial information such as your bank account details, including account numbers and online banking passwords, should always remain confidential. Sharing this information can lead to unauthorized access, financial loss, and significant security breaches. Be careful doing online banking through public WiFi, too.
Passwords and PINs
It should be pretty obvious why you should never share passwords and PINs; they’re the keys to your online and financial security. Sharing them, even with trusted individuals, can compromise your accounts and personal data. Use strong, unique passwords for each account and change them regularly to enhance your security.
Personal Phone Number
You can obviously give your personal phone number to new acquaintances, but don’t post it publicly, as you could receive unwanted calls, texts, and even harassment. If you need to share your number for public or business-related purposes, consider using a second phone number, which will help to maintain boundaries.
Work-Related Secrets
If you come across business secrets or workplace gossip, keep it to yourself. Sharing such details can lead to breaches of trust, legal issues, and damage to your professional reputation. It’s not your information to share, so maintain confidentiality to protect your job and reputation.
Legal Documents
One of the worst personal details to share publicly is legal documents, such as contracts and wills. These contain highly sensitive information, and sharing them can lead to legal complications and privacy breaches. Store them securely, and if you must share them digitally, it might be worth encrypting them.
Private Conversations
It should go without saying that private conversations, whether in-person or online, are meant to remain confidential. Publicly sharing the content of these conversations can damage relationships, lead to misunderstandings, and breach trust. It’s just not right, so keep them to yourself.
Photographs of Children
It’s unfortunate that sharing photographs of children, especially with identifying information, can put them at risk. If you do share pictures of your kids online, ensure that privacy settings are in place so that the content is only visible to trusted friends and family.
Personal Relationships
You should never share details about personal relationships publicly, including conflicts and intimate moments. These should always remain private because publicizing such information can lead to gossip, misunderstandings, and strain on relationships. Maintain a level of discretion about your personal life to protect the privacy and dignity of all involved.
Financial Information
When it comes to finance, it’s not just your bank details that you need to protect; detailed financial information, such as income, debts, and investments, should also be kept confidential. Public sharing can lead to identity theft, financial exploitation, and unnecessary scrutiny, and ultimately, it’s nobody’s business but your own.
Security Questions
Every year, many people are fooled into sharing the answer to their password security questions, such as the name of their first pet or their mother’s maiden name. Such information is often used to recover lost passwords and verify identity, so sharing these answers publicly can compromise your account security.
Personal Email Address
Just like with your phone number, keep your personal email address to yourself, as it can be a gateway to sensitive information. Publicly sharing increases the risk of spam, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access, so when you need a public contact email, make a separate address for such purposes.
Location Data
These days, many people, especially teenagers, publicly share their location data on apps such as Facebook and Snapchat, revealing their whereabouts and daily routines to the whole world. This is a recipe for disaster, as it can endanger your safety and privacy, so only share such information with trusted individuals.
Personal Identifiers
The unique information found on your driver’s license and passport, known as personal identifiers, should always remain confidential. Sharing this information can lead to identity theft and fraud, so keep these documents secure and only provide them when required for official documentation purposes.
Sensitive Personal Opinions
Sadly, expressing sensitive personal opinions publicly these days can lead to unwanted attention, conflict, and potential repercussions in your professional and personal life. Be mindful of the potential impact of sharing controversial views and consider the potential impact, as it’s rarely worth it.
Biometric Data
Perhaps the most dangerous thing you could possibly share with the public is your biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial recognition information. Such data is increasingly used for security purposes, and therefore, sharing it can lead to unauthorized access to your devices or even your home.