What Every Teen Should Know About Their Digital Rights on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat

What Are Digital Rights?

Digital Rights are your freedoms and protections that you have when you use digital technology. They allow individuals to access, use, create and publish social media. Freedom of expression on the internet is considered an extension of traditional freedom of speech, which is why it is so crucial that teens are aware and have the ability to prevent their rights from being violated.

What Happens to Your Data Online?

Every time that you digitally interact with something, platforms collect your data. For example, they might collect your location, search history, online activity, purchase history, and more. This data is used to build a profile on you, that often gets shared to third party's such as advertisers. Data brokers also collect and sell this information in a similar fashion.

Your Digital Rights

• The Right to Privacy and Personal Data Protection: You have the right to control personal information that is collected about you, how it is used, and the ability to correct or delete it

• Freedom of Expression: You are free to express yourself on your social media platforms as long as you don't break any laws (ex. hate-speech, harassment, etc.)

• Right to Transparency: Platforms and services need to clearly state what they are doing with the data they are collecting

• Right to Non-Discrimination and Equal Access: You should have the same access and rights online regardless of age, race, sex, disability, or background.

• Right to be Forgotten: In many places, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, you have the right to request deletion of your data

• Right to a Secure Digital Environment: You have protection from tracking, unauthorized surveillance, stolen data, and more

What Happens to My Data When I Delete My Account

Even though you have deleted your account, your data might remain. Platforms often back up their user's data automatically, like their messages and account information. This information gets archived and typically remains even after you delete your account. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms often retain said data for years. Some companies even create shadow profiles using the leftover data from browsing activity and ex-users.

Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint is the trail of data that you leave behind when using the internet. You can have both an active and passive footprint, with the active being made of information you intentionally share online and the passive being made of information collected without your knowledge. Maintaining a strong digital footprint is crucial in this day of advanced technology. For example, if you have an inappropriate Instagram post on your account, a college or job might reject you if they deem it to be too harmful or unprofessional. Think of your digital footprint as an online resume: it tells the world the type of person you are without any explanation.

How to Protect Your Data

• Regularly check and update your account's privacy settings

• Be aware of the information you are sharing online

• Use privacy tools like VPNS (routes your traffic to a server in another location to hide your online activity) and privacy centered browsers

• Stay informed on new information regarding digital privacy

  
  

How to Handle a Privacy Breech

1. Find out what type of data was breached to take proper action (ex. social media account info, personal info, passwords, etc.)

2. Change your passwords to be more unique and strong for ample protection

3. Add 2 factor authentication to prevent future hacking

4. Inform the platform/company from which your data was breached as well as a trusted adult

5. Document everything in case of court action

6. Consider more theft protection services

Overall, digital privacy is a right worth protecting since it dictates so much of our lives nowadays. Understanding your digital rights is key to making informed and smart decisions on online platforms and keeping your information safe. Subscribe to get future teen law posts straight to your inbox. Stay informed and stay safe!