Do you post personal photos on Facebook and then tag your friends? Be sure to check that it’s okay with them first!
A friend of mine just came back from a wonderful beach holiday. During the trip she wasn’t going online, so it was a shock to return from the trip and see that friends she and her husband had made at the resort had posted and tagged images of her lounging around in her swimsuit and sipping cocktails. Anyone who visited her profile could see the photos, and she was annoyed because nobody had asked her permission to share images which she considered personal. She didn’t want colleagues seeing her in a bikini with a pina colada in her hand!
Another friend also shared that she considers it an invasion of privacy when friends check her into locations when they are out at, say, a restaurant or concert. If the person posting wants to tag him or herself, that’s fine. But they should ask if others would like to be tagged as well, and not press the issue if friends would prefer to not be identified.
There are several reasons why people would rather their whereabouts not be made public online. For some, it’s a safety issue. If people know you aren’t home, you could be exposing yourself to a break-in. It could also cause social awkwardness. If you’re supposed to be out with someone else, or are meant to be working on an important work project, it may be hard to explain why you were tagged at such-and-such restaurant with a group of friends.
My friend says that she and her husband have a policy of never saying that they are out of town because his Facebook profile is viewable to the public for business and marketing reasons. Instead, they will wait to share appropriate travel photos upon their return.
If you object to a tag that someone else has posted about you, you can go on Facebook and request that it be removed. You can also block the user if need be. If it’s a friend, send a polite message saying that you enjoyed the images but removed the tags due to privacy issues. Surely most people can appreciate that!
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