Today, there are thousands of apps to help with every activity imaginable. This includes tons of social apps that each have unique benefits—but these features also come with unique risks. A study by Thorn reported that the majority of minors who were sex trafficking survivors in or after 2015 reported first encountering their trafficker through social media. Instagram, Facebook, dating sites, and chat apps are the apps most commonly used for human trafficking.
To be safe online, it’s necessary to understand the dangers associated with each app you use.
Our Rescue, a website that specializes in internet safety and fighting against exploitation, outlined the most common threats associated with commonly used social apps:
- Snapchat: Since users can send content that disappears after 24 hours, it is easier for exploiters or bullies to act without consequences.Victims won’t have evidence to back up their claims, which makes predators feel empowered to exploit them. Predators have used this app to seek out victims for many kinds of sex trafficking.
- WhatsApp: Since so many people use this app, malware and cyberbullying are common. Make sure you only use it to communicate with people you already know and trust.
- BeReal: Posts in this app are not actively moderated, so you can be exposed to harmful content more easily.
- TikTok: This app collects personal information, and its algorithm makes it so that you can be exposed to content that becomes more and more harmful.
- YouTube: While this site has some content filters, harmful content can bypass them. Additionally, interaction with strangers via videos or in the comments has inherent dangers.
- Roblox: Some user-generated games in this app can be inappropriate, and interactions with strangers on Roblox can be harmful or dangerous.
- Instagram: This app encourages you and other users to share lots of personal information. Also, its algorithm can expose you to harmful content even if you’re not seeking it out. This app is the second most commonly used app in human trafficking, according to a 2020 study.
- Discord: Different Discord channels have different rules, and some of them allow inappropriate content, harassment, and cybercrime. It’s crucial to make sure that you are not involved in channels where these behaviors are permitted.
- WeChat: This app can identify your location and has many location-based features. This can put you at risk since this information could potentially be leaked to strangers and even criminals.
- Facebook: This app was the social media app most commonly used in trafficking according to a 2020 study. People sharing so much personal information makes it easy for traffickers to find the vulnerable, and ads can also draw unsuspecting people into trafficking.
- Kik Messenger: This app facilitates anonymous messaging, which both decreases criminals’ accountability and makes it more likely that you encounter a cybercriminal since you’re exposed to so many strangers.
- Whisper or other anonymous networking apps: Users share anonymous secrets or confessions, which makes it easy to share extremely harmful content without facing consequences.
How can I navigate all these dangers?
- Check your settings. An app’s default settings might involve sharing lots of your personal data or not filtering very much content. But you can sometimes add content filters or keep more of your data private through the app’s settings. The Instagram Safety Page, Snapchat Safety Center, and Facebook Safety Center are great places to learn more, with lots of articles about ways to stay safe on those specific platforms.
- Avoid downloading apps that you don’t need. This way, you can minimize the number of dangers you have to worry about. For example, if you can communicate with your friends using traditional text messages or Google Chat, you don’t need to download Snapchat. Most people wouldn’t mind using a different platform to contact you if you don’t feel comfortable using their favorite one!
- Be careful what you post online. Before posting something, imagine all the different kinds of people who could find the post—your grandma, your school principal, the bully in your class, your crush, your future boss, a predator—and the list goes on. If there is anyone on that list who you definitely don’t want to ever see the content, then it’s probably not something you should share publicly online.
- Avoid accepting random friend or follow requests. If you don’t know a person who wants to connect with you, react with caution. It’s not worth potentially compromising your safety just to gain another “friend” or follower.
- Consider making your profile “private” or limiting access to it. On some social media platforms, like Instagram, you can make it harder for predators to even find your account by making it only visible to your close friends or to people you’ve already chosen to connect with.
- Avoid sharing location where possible. Think twice before permitting an app to always access your location or sharing your location with other people. Also, remember that a potential predator could discover locations where you often hang out just from looking at your social media posts, even if your location data isn’t technically being shared. Thus, it’s important to be careful what your posts reveal about where you live, go to school, and spend time.
- Be transparent with your parents. If you’re not sure whether your parents would want you to use a certain app, or if you encounter content that makes you uncomfortable, communicate with your parents about it. They are not out to get you. If you communicate honestly with them, they will trust you more and also help you navigate the internet more safely.
- Think long-term. If you’re tempted to download an app or message a person that might not be safe, weigh your short-term desire against the potential long-term consequences. App designers want you to just go with the flow—but you deserve better than to be subjected to whatever the world throws at you. Instead, you can make conscious decisions about how you want to live your digital life.
- If you feel you are in an unsafe situation online, take action. Check out our article on Protecting Yourself from Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery. Report suspicious interactions to the social media platform you’re using, and make sure to tell a trusted adult as well. If you believe you are being trafficked, reach out to the National Trafficking Hotline as soon as you can safely do so.
The internet can be a scary place, but it can also be a helpful tool. If you take your digital safety seriously, you can use the internet in an enjoyable and productive way and decrease the risk of exploitation or harm.