Now that your divorce has been finalized, and you and your children have started a new journey together, it is time to take a long, hard look at your social media accounts. Yes, this is an essential next step—particularly when it comes to online safety, privacy, and various other security checks. After all, a lot has changed in your life, and the details you share online moving forward can influence everything from your personal healing process to your children’s well-being, your professional reputation, and even future legal matters.
We shared a few helpful tips in a previous blog post several years ago. Still, our team of dedicated family law attorneys continually seeks additional ways to provide value to our clients. So, here is an expanded list of tips, tricks, and life hacks to consider.
8 Social Media Safety Tips After Divorce
Revisit your security settings.
Social media companies have gone to great lengths to beef up their security policies in recent years. This includes advanced options, such as stricter password requirements and two-factor authentication. Take advantage of these extra layers of security, including choosing stronger, unique passwords that you have never used before. Even if your former spouse did not know your passwords, they may know your tendencies. Reset your passwords and go through the rest of your security settings with a fine-toothed comb.
Update your privacy settings.
To piggyback on the first tip above, you should also conduct a thorough review of your privacy settings to gain more control over your digital footprint moving forward. Ask yourself, “Who can see my posts, whether it be innocuous updates or more sensitive photos and personal details?” If necessary, limit access. Go through each platform you use—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, even LinkedIn—and check who can view your profile, tag you, or comment on your updates. Many sites also allow you to restrict access to past posts.
Take a hard look at who is part of your social network.
The reality is that your list of close friends may have changed considerably after your divorce. You may even have shared connections with your former spouse that you are either not familiar with or do not know at all. Review your social networks and remove anyone who does not need to be there. Your former spouse might be an obvious choice depending on your unique situation, but look closer at others and decide who you feel comfortable leaving on there and who should quietly be deleted.
Review connected applications
If you have been on social media for a while, there is a good chance you have granted access to third-party apps, games, and various services that enhance your social media experience. While there is typically nothing wrong with this, it would not hurt to review your current list and remove anything you no longer use.
Update recovery info
If anything were to go wrong with your social media accounts, not having an updated phone number and recovery email included in your settings will only make recapturing your profile more challenging. Make sure these details are up to date.
Limit location sharing and review shared devices.
Turn off automatic check-ins and geotags. This keeps your movements private, especially if you’re starting new routines or dating. If you used a shared tablet, computer, or streaming device, log out of your accounts and clear saved passwords.
Scour your older posts and clean them up.
You may have gone against your better judgment and posted a few unsavory things about your former spouse during the divorce process. While it may have felt good at the time, keeping those posts active only keeps you tied to the past and could hurt relationships with your children, family, and friends. You can even go a step further and restrict who can comment on your posts to avoid negativity. You need to remember that your children are a combination of you and your spouse. When you bash your spouse, you indirectly bash your children and force them to be stuck in the middle of your marital issues.
Limit what you share moving forward.
You have done a great job ensuring your accounts are private. Still, it is essential to exercise caution when posting anything. Even if you are not connected with someone after a divorce, nothing stops a friend or family member from sharing that information with your spouse or someone else who will. A good rule of thumb is only to share positive updates, hobbies, or work-related posts.
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