The ubiquitous integration of social media into most people’s daily lives has made it critical for you to keep your accounts safe from prying eyes. For many people, social media is a way to share details of their life and connect with other people. What we all have to remember is that, even though we may we think we are sending a private message to our “friends”, if it’s on the Internet, there’s a record of it somewhere. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit or whatever other social media property you may use, what you post on social media can be used against you in court.

Learn more about how Social Media Can Hurt You in Your Divorce.

If you’re going through a contentious divorce and you suspect your spouse might be spying on you, securing your social media accounts and keeping a watchful eye on suspicious activity is even more imperative than ever before.

Below, we discuss some simple tips and tricks to help protect your social media accounts from a snooping spouse and what you can do to get qualified legal assistance with your New York divorce.

Max Out Your Social Media Privacy Settings

If your accounts are public, if you’re going through a divorce, now is the time for you to set them to Private. Research the privacy settings for each platform you use and if possible, use the strictest settings you can. You don’t want to post pictures or updates that you think your spouse isn’t going to see only to find out later that your privacy settings weren’t on and the post went public and your ex is using them against you in your divorce or child custody case.

Don’t Accept New Friend Requests

It’s common for spouses who want to spy to create fake accounts so they can pose as a friend and be accepted to your private friends lists. Be suspicious of sudden friend requests from people you haven’t spoken to since high school, people from forums you participate in but don’t regularly talk to, etc.

A great way to protect yourself is to only accept new friend requests from people who you’ve met in real life and know you can trust. If you’ve only met them online, there’s really no way to know who they are and if they’re someone you have complete and utter confidence they will not share information with your spouse.

Don’t ‘Check In’ Anywhere on Social Media

Many social media sites, like Facebook, give you the option to “check in” on the pages of physical places you go to in real life when you’re there. This is something you want to avoid doing, especially if you’re in the midst of a divorce or you suspect your ex may be watching you

“Checking in” shows people where you are, when you’re there, and how often you frequent those places. Anyone who wants to track you or see what you’re doing can look at that information and use it to piece together your habits, your family, and where you go during the day.

Even if you think your posts are set to private, check ins are usually public information. It may not be possible to see your pictures or personal messages, but if you check in to businesses, this information is usually posted on your public timeline.

Make Passwords Complex & Change Them Often

If you haven’t changed your passwords since your divorce (or since divorce proceedings were commenced), do that now. Your passwords should be long, complex, and changed frequently.

Make sure your new passwords aren’t anything your spouse would recognize, guess, or remember. Don’t make it a pet’s name, a child’s birthday, a parent’s name, or anything that’s personal to you. Your spouse likely knows the things important to you and can probably guess these kinds of passwords.

Ideally, your password will be something entirely random that isn’t likely to be cracked by anyone – for example, putting several words together that wouldn’t ordinarily fit that way can work well. Note that the longer your password is, the harder it will be for spy software to run through all the possible password combinations to find the right one.

Hire A Zealous New York Family Lawyer to Help You

Going through a divorce is tough and there’s not much that can lessen the emotional and psychological blow. There are, however a number of mistakes you can make at the start of your divorce and one of these is certainly making it easier for your spouse to spy on you.

The tips above are a good start, but you need comprehensive legal support when dissolving your marriage. There are a number of things you should do as soon as you learn of your divorce and only a team of experienced professionals on your side can guide you through the difficult challenges ahead and who can help advocate for your best interests.

Contact Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C. today for more information about your legal options with a spying spouse or to book a free initial case consultation to speak with an experienced Long Island divorce lawyer. Call now at 631-923-1910 or fill out our short contact form and we’ll get right back to you.