Every year, social media platforms update their privacy settings, add new data collection features, and bury the opt-outs deeper. What was private last year might be public today—unless you know where to look. This dossier covers how to reduce surveillance on major platforms in 2026. Following these steps won't make you invisible (nothing does), but it will reduce your exposure. Watch: How social media platforms track you across the web and what you can do about it: Facebook/Meta Privacy Meta has a documented history of privacy violations, including the FTC's $5 billion settlement and ongoing scrutiny. Their business model depends on data collection, but you can limit what they can access. Essential Facebook Settings Limit Profile Visibility Go to Settings & Privacy > Privacy Checkup Select Who can see what you share Set Future posts to Friends only (not "Friends of Friends") Limit Past posts to Friends only Set Profile information visibility to Only me or Friends Control Friend Requests Settings > Privacy Who can send you friend requests → Friends of friends Who can see your friends list → Only me or Friends Remove any friend connections you don't recognize Disable Facial Recognition Settings > Face Recognition Set Face Recognition to No This prevents Facebook from identifying you in photos Note: This doesn't prevent Facebook from using other identification methods Control Location Tracking Settings > Location > Location Settings Disable Location History Set Background Location to Off Review and delete existing Location History data Limit Data Sharing with Partners Settings > Apps and Websites Review all connected apps Remove apps you don't actively use Set Apps, websites, and games to Off Instagram Privacy Settings Instagram is owned by Meta and shares much of its data infrastructure. The privacy concerns are similar. Switch to Private Account Go to Settings > Privacy Enable Private account Only approved followers can see your posts New people must request to follow you Control Story Visibility Settings > Privacy > Story Set Allow replies and mentions to People you follow Disable Share your story to Facebook Set Sharing settings to Only people you mention Hide Activity Status Settings > Privacy > Activity status Disable Show activity status People won't see when you're online or when you last used Instagram Control Restrict/Deny Accounts Settings > Privacy > Connections Review blocked accounts Use Restrict for accounts you want to limit without blocking Disable Meta AI Interactions Settings > Meta AI (may be in Privacy or Settings) Opt out of AI conversation sharing Disable AI-generated content in your feed Review what Discover content about you exists TikTok Privacy TikTok faces ongoing scrutiny over data collection, particularly regarding Chinese government access. Whether or not these concerns are valid, limiting your data exposure makes sense. Critical TikTok Settings Make Your Account Private Go to Profile > Settings Toggle Private account to On Only approved followers can see your videos Comments require approval from you Disable Personalized Advertising Profile > Settings > Privacy Personalization and data Disable all advertising personalization options Note: TikTok will still collect data, but won't use it for ads Control Data Collection Profile > Settings > Privacy Personalization and data > Data controls Download your data - Get a copy to see what TikTok has Delete account data - Periodically delete what you can Manage Comments Profile > Settings > Privacy > Comments Set Who can comment to Friends or Off Filter Harmful comments automatically Restrict Mentions to Followers Disable Phone Number Linking Profile > Edit Profile Remove phone number if linked Use email for account recovery instead Your phone number is valuable data for advertisers LinkedIn Privacy LinkedIn's privacy issues are often overlooked because it's a professional network. But your LinkedIn data reveals your career history, professional relationships, and potentially sensitive professional opinions. LinkedIn Privacy Settings Control Profile Visibility Settings > Visibility Set Profile visibility to Only you for sensitive sections Limit Connections visibility to Only you Disable Chat invitation option if you don't want connection requests Review What Employers Can See Settings > Visibility > Job seeking activity Hide your job searches from current employer Disable Career interests if not actively job searching Review which recruiters can see your profile Control Activity Broadcasts Settings > Visibility > Activity broadcasts Disable Share profile edits with your network This prevents every edit from notifying your connections More privacy, less notification noise Manage Data for Advertising Settings > Data privacy > advertising data Review what LinkedIn knows about you Opt out of Relevant ads Download your data periodically Secure Account Access Settings > Sign in and security Enable Two-step verification Review Active sessions and sign out unfamiliar ones Use a strong, unique password X (formerly Twitter) Privacy X under Elon Musk has faced criticism for content moderation and data practices. The platform's remaining privacy protections are minimal but worth implementing. X Privacy Settings Lock Down Your Account Settings > Privacy and safety Set Protect your posts to On Only approved followers see your tweets Your tweets won't appear in search or public feeds Disable Location Tagging Settings > Privacy and safety > Location information Disable Tweet location Remove all existing location data Delete location history if possible Control Discoverability Settings > Privacy and safety > Discoverability Disable Email address discovery Disable Phone number discovery Prevent people from finding you via contact info Manage Data Sharing Settings > Privacy and safety > Data sharing Review third-party app access Remove apps you don't recognize Limit data sharing with X partners Content Moderation Preferences Settings > Privacy and safety > Content you see Adjust Search settings Manage Muted words and notifications Note: X's moderation is less robust than competitors Universal Privacy Principles Beyond platform-specific settings, these principles apply across all social media: The Minimal Disclosure Principle Share the minimum necessary: Phone number: Never required, often requested Birthday: Full date not necessary (month/day is often enough) Location: Not required, reveals patterns Relationships: Share selectively Work history: Only what you're comfortable publicly known Regular Privacy Audits Make privacy maintenance a habit: Quarterly: Review privacy settings (platforms change these often) After platform updates: Check for new settings or changed defaults Annually: Download your data and see what's been collected When data breaches occur: Check if your data was included Assume Everything Is Permanent Nothing you post is truly erasable: Screenshots create permanent copies Deleted content may exist in backups Search engines index content quickly Third parties may have saved your data Before posting, ask: "Would I be comfortable if this were public forever?" The Opt-Out Is Not Delete Even if you enable privacy settings: Platforms retain your data Past content may remain accessible Third parties may have saved your information Jurisdictional laws affect data protection Privacy settings limit future exposure—they don't erase the past. Platform Comparison Summary Setting / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / LinkedIn / X Private Account / Yes / Yes / Yes / Partial / Yes Hide Location / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes Limit Ads / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Limited Two-Factor Auth / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes Data Download / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes Delete Account / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes The Bigger Picture Social media platforms are businesses. Their revenue comes from advertising, and advertising depends on data. Every privacy setting you enable reduces their data collection—hence why settings are often buried, confusing, or changed without notice. This isn't conspiracy—it is economics. Facebook's $100+ billion annual revenue comes largely from knowing who you are and what you do. They are not going to make it easy to deny them that. Stay vigilant. Review settings regularly. Use the nuclear option (deleting accounts) when the privacy-utility trade-off becomes unacceptable. Your data is valuable. Treat it that way.