Being diligent in protecting yourself and your personal information online can help reduce the risk of identity theft or any form of online violence. 

How do you protect your personal information online? 

Here are 10 helpful ways to assist you: 

Advocacy group Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHO@) publishes comprehensive statistics on cyberstalking and online harassment. According to this information, victims of online stalking are spread evenly across all age groups, although over the past decade the number of males being stalked online has almost doubled. An estimated 1 in 12 women in the US has experienced stalking either online or offline.

Victims of stalking are also more likely to know the perpetrator than one may think. Nearly 75 percent of those affected by this crime knew their stalkers in one way or another. Of this demographic, those who have been victims of domestic violence are the most vulnerable when it comes to online stalking.

We want Instagram to continue to be an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression. Help us foster this community. Post only your own photos and videos and always follow the law. Respect everyone on Instagram, don’t spam people or post nudity – Instagram

This post has been curated from information on the Instagram Safety Centre

Online dating has become one of the most popular ways of meeting new people nowadays. As fun and convenient as it may seem it does not take away the fact that when you choose to become one with the online dating community you are basically opening yourself to strangers that essential “live” on the internet.

Many claim that they use dating sites to find love and long term partners but according to the research done by Kaspersky Lab that might not be the case. In South Africa 31% of the population use online dating sites and apps such as Tinder, Bumble and OKCupid. Research has revealed that people searching for love on these sites is just a minority as over 50% are using dating sites and apps for fun and 19% of the people said they are just looking for sex.