| Platforms covered | Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube |
| Where to start on any platform | Settings > Privacy (or Security & Privacy) |
| Highest-impact single action | Switching your account to private/protected |
| How often to review settings | At least once every 6 months or after major app updates (General best-practice recommendation) |
| Data download available on | All six platforms listed here |
| 2FA availability | Supported on all major platforms |
How to Use This Reference
This guide is designed as a lookup tool — a quick reference you can scan when you want to tighten controls on a specific platform without wading through full help centers. Each section covers the most impactful privacy settings, where to find them, and what they actually do.
A few things to keep in mind before you start. First, all platforms discussed here default to showing more of your information, not less — you have to opt in to stricter controls. Second, privacy settings only protect what happens on the platform; your behavior off-platform (what sites you visit, what apps you use) can still be tracked through pixels and partner networks. For a fuller picture, see our guide on what your browser quietly collects. Third, enabling stricter privacy settings often reduces some convenience — such as being found by old contacts or signing into other apps with a social account.
| Platforms covered | Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube |
| Where to start on any platform | Settings > Privacy (or Security & Privacy) |
| Highest-impact single action | Switching your account to private/protected |
| How often to review settings | At least once every 6 months or after major app updates (General best-practice recommendation) |
| Data download available on | All six platforms listed here |
| 2FA availability | Supported on all major platforms |
Facebook and Instagram (Meta)
Because both platforms share a parent company and infrastructure, their privacy controls follow a similar structure — though the menus are separate.
- Audience selector: On Facebook, every post has an audience dropdown. Set a default under Settings & Privacy > Privacy > Your Activity. Options include Public, Friends, Friends of Friends, and custom lists.
- Profile discoverability: Under Settings > Privacy > How People Find and Contact You, control whether your email or phone number can be used to look you up, and whether search engines index your profile.
- Off-Facebook activity: Found in Settings > Your Facebook Information > Off-Facebook Activity. This shows data Facebook receives from external websites and apps, and lets you disconnect future activity from your account.
- Connected apps: Review under Settings > Apps and Websites. Remove anything you no longer use.
- Private account: Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy. Toggling this on means only approved followers see your posts and Stories.
- Story and close friends controls: You can hide Stories from specific followers and share to a Close Friends list without making your whole account private.
- Activity status: Turn off under Settings > Privacy > Activity Status so others cannot see when you were last active.
- Data download: Settings > Your Activity > Download Your Information on both platforms.
Pairing these controls with a review of app permissions you may have granted without thinking is a worthwhile combination.
X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok
X (formerly Twitter)
- Protected posts: Settings > Privacy and Safety > Audience and Tagging > Protect your posts. Only approved followers can see your content; retweets of your posts are disabled.
- Discoverability: Under Privacy and Safety > Discoverability and Contacts, uncheck options to let others find you by email or phone. Also disable syncing your device contacts.
- Direct Messages: Restrict who can DM you under Privacy and Safety > Direct Messages.
- Ad preferences: Settings > Privacy and Safety > Ads Preferences. You can opt out of interest-based ads and data sharing with partners.
Settings Change — Check Back Regularly
Social platforms update their interfaces and privacy options frequently. Menu names and the exact location of controls may differ from what is described here by the time you read this. When in doubt, use the platform's built-in search bar inside Settings to locate a specific option. Always verify current options directly within the app or site.
Limiting Ads Is Not the Same as Opting Out
Most platforms allow you to reduce ad personalization or turn off interest-based targeting, but they do not offer a complete opt-out from advertising itself. Adjusting these settings changes which ads you see — not whether you see ads. Your data may still be used for other platform purposes even after adjusting ad settings.
- Profile visibility: Settings > Visibility > Visibility of your profile & network. Control whether your profile appears in public search results and what a logged-out visitor can see.
- Activity broadcasts: Turn off notifications to your network when you update your profile under Visibility > Share profile updates with your network.
- Who can see your connections: Limit this under Visibility > Visibility of your LinkedIn connections.
TikTok
- Private account: Settings > Privacy > Private Account. Only approved followers see your videos.
- Suggest your account: Under Privacy > Suggest your account to others, you can disable suggestions to people who have your phone number or who visited your profile.
- Ads: Settings > Privacy > Ads allows you to opt out of personalized ads based on activity on TikTok and from off-platform partners.
YouTube and Universal Good Practices
YouTube (Google Account)
YouTube privacy is managed through your Google Account, not just the YouTube app itself.
- Watch and search history: Pause or clear under myactivity.google.com or within the YouTube app at Settings > History & Privacy.
- Playlist and liked video visibility: Set individual playlists to Private or Unlisted under your YouTube channel settings.
- Ad personalization: Managed at adssettings.google.com — you can turn off personalization across Google's advertising network.
Universal practices that apply across all platforms
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) — every major platform supports it and it dramatically reduces the risk of account takeover.
- Download your data — do this periodically so you understand what the platform holds about you.
- Audit connected apps — remove third-party apps you no longer use; they may retain access indefinitely.
- Review tagged content — most platforms let you approve tags before they appear on your profile.
Audience selector
A control that lets you choose who can see a specific post or piece of profile information — options typically include Public, Friends, or Only Me.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
A login security step that requires a second form of verification — such as a text code or authenticator app — in addition to your password.
Data download
A feature offered by most major platforms that lets you request and download a copy of everything the platform has stored about your account and activity.
Ad personalization
The practice of using your browsing history, interests, and behavior to show targeted advertisements. Most platforms let you limit, but not fully eliminate, this.
Connected apps
Third-party applications that have been granted access to your social account via login or permission prompts. These can retain data access even after you stop using the app.
Profile discoverability
Settings that control whether your account appears in search results on the platform or in external search engines like Google.
For broader context on how data collected from social platforms can circulate beyond the apps themselves, our article on data brokers and personal information explains the downstream picture. And if you want a structured review of your entire online presence, see our practical online presence audit.