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People can inadvertently or intentionally use your information to embarrass you or damage your reputation, or to even steal your identity.

Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are used to stay in touch with friends, make new friends or business connections and to share information and opinions about topics we’re interested in.

You need to think about how much information you provide and to whom.

Read the website Privacy policy before you sign up.

Legitimate social networking sites will have a privacy statement which tells you how they collect and use your information and when and how they might disclose this information either through the website or to third parties.

• Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with businesses, which could send you spam.
• Locate the sites’ policies for handling referrals to make sure that you do not accidentally sign your friends up for spam.
• Privacy policies can change. In some cases these site may notify you of changes. In many cases by continuing to access or use the Services after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy. If not you should regularly review privacy policies and review how much information you reveal in your profile.
• If you use applications or sign up for games inside the website remember to read the individual privacy policy. Don’t assume that they will have the same policy as the parent website. Some online games are set up to utilise the ‘networking’ aspects of the site and specifically state that they can use you information and your friend’s information in whatever way they like.

Once information is online, it is not easy to remove it completely. Even if you remove information from your profile, saved or cached versions may still exist on other computers.

• Adjust your privacy settings to control the amount and type of information you want to share, so that people you don't know very well can only see certain parts of your profile.
• The photos, comments, messages and wall posts that you share could be seen by anyone, and are not always removable if you change your mind. This includes information in your profile, on blogs and other forums. People often forget that people other than their friends might see the information.
• Often when you apply for a job, companies may check to see if you have an online profile. Be aware that the photos and information you share with your friends may not be what you want you prospective employer to see.
• Do not post information that would make you or your family vulnerable (e.g. your date of birth, address, information about your daily routine or holiday plans). This information can be used by criminals to commit identity theft. Users who share addresses, telephone numbers, birthdays, and other personal information put themselves at a greater risk for identity theft, stalking and harassment. This includes information you may post on your wall or someone else's. Read more about protecting your identity.

Be careful about what you say about others online. Posting something rude, offensive or derogatory about another person or business in a public forum can have consequences. Once you post a comment it can be difficult to remove all record of it. Comments you make may be used as legal evidence.

People are not always who they say they are.

• It is a good idea to limit the number of people you accept as friends.
• If you are “friends” with people you do not know, be careful about the amount of information that you reveal and don't agree to meet them in person.
• Use your social networking site’s privacy settings to limit their access to your information.

Emails pretending to be friend requests from social networking sites try to direct people to fake versions of these websites. These fake websites may contain malicious software that could steal your personal information and infect your computer.

To help protect yourself from phishing emails:

• never click on links in emails, even if they look genuine, and
• always type your social networking website address into your browser.

Any genuine friend requests will appear on your home page on your social networking site.

• Protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords. Never use the same password that you use for your email account. This reduces the chances of a hacker or even your friends logging in to your account without your permission. Have a different password for each social networking site so that if one password is stolen, not all of your accounts will be at risk.
• Never click suspicious links—even if they appear to be from your friends. Their accounts could have been infected with viruses or other malicious software. If you click the links that they post on your profile page or send in messages, your computer and account could become infected by malicious software too.