Privacy Risks on the Rise for the College-bound

Young adults are one of the most at-risk populations when it comes to privacy risks, identity theft, internet fraud, and scams.

Your fresh-faced young adult is heading off to college, and you know what that means: it’s time to have The Talk. No, not the one involving birds and bees. It’s time to talk to them about digital privacy so that they don’t spread their wings only to fall prey to internet scammers and identity thieves. (By the way, older adults face privacy risks, too. So, when you talk to your college student about privacy, you’ll be more credible if you’re practicing what you preach.)

Young Adults are Digital Savvy, But Not Privacy-Aware

Young adults are one of the most at-risk populations when it comes to the latest privacy risks and scams. While roughly 25% of all adult internet users admit to having posted sensitive personal data on popular social media websites like Facebook and Instagram internet privacy statistics show that younger adults are even less careful.

Young adults have proved to be the most likely to post photos that could damage their social media privacy and online reputation. They are also likely to contact people they don’t know or accept strangers as “friends” and contacts. [Source: Social Media Statistics] The internet age provides a host of opportunities for students to accidentally expose themselves to risk, and even the brightest minds might miss potential dangers.

Privacy 101 for College Students

So, you know you need to have “The Talk” about privacy with your student, but where to start?

Here are some privacy tips and topics to discuss with your young adult as they prepare for their next phase in life:

• Use a VPN. Chances are your child has heard of a VPN before, but they’ve more likely used one to skirt location restrictions on a streaming service than to protect their personal data. Modern college life often involves a lot of mobile computing, and a VPN can allow them to use campus WiFi through an encrypted connection that keeps their personal information safe.
• Think before posting photos on social media. While people of all ages use social media, adults under 30 use more apps that rely on pictures and videos. According to Pew Research, a majority of American 18- to 29-year-olds use Instagram and Snapchat and roughly half of that age group reported using TikTok. A majority also report posting photos of themselves in addition to personal information. While it’s probably a hard sell to ask a young person to never post any pictures of themselves, having an honest discussion with them about how much they’re allowing strangers to see (and potentially steal) can go a long way.
• Use dark web monitoring. Unlike earlier generations, it’s not realistic to expect a young adult to post no pictures or personal details on the internet. And, unfortunately, there will always be risk of that information being stolen and put up for sale on the dark web. On top of that, new college students present a perfect target for identity theft: they typically have clean credit reports and very little experience keeping an eye on their finances for evidence of fraud. Privacy protection that monitors data broker and dark web sites can take the pressure off, allowing your college student to focus on more important aspects of their new independence.
• Approach college apps with caution: These days, some schools are asking students to download apps which monitor their location to track their attendance in classes. These apps may benefit the school, but any type of real-time location gathering poses a privacy risk. Even if a college or university promises not to sell that data to a third party, tracking and other personal information can be stolen by hackers and used for scams and identity theft. Make sure your college student understands the risks before they download any sort of institutional app.

Paving a Smooth Path to Adulthood

The transition to college requires a lot of new skills, and privacy risks are just one more thing for young adults to deal with. Having a respectful and open conversation about privacy risks is a great way to start, but you can help support your college-age child further by adding them to your privacy protection plan (or getting them a plan of their own once they’re officially no longer living at home). IDX Privacy protection provides a VPN, dark web and social media monitoring, plus other tools to help keep them safe and to alert them if there are problems.

Without expert help to spot problems and correct them, identity theft and fraud can drag a person down for years. Your student has such a bright future, why not protect it and them, right from the start?