Privacy Settings You Should Change on Major Social Media Platforms

Your Facebook profile is a treasure trove of personal data—birthdays, family connections, location history, even your political leanings. Every like, share, and comment feeds algorithms that predict your behavior. Worse, that data often remains accessible long after you stop using the platform.

Estate planning isn’t just about wills and trusts anymore. Your digital life—social media accounts, photos, messages, and financial logins—needs protection, too. If you don’t lock down privacy settings now, your digital legacy could be exposed to strangers, marketers, or even identity thieves.

This guide covers the critical privacy settings you must change on every major social media platform. We’ll also show you how these changes support your broader estate planning goals. Plus, we’ll recommend resources like the I’m Dead, Now What? Planner to help you document everything.

Why Social Media Privacy Matters for Estate Planning

When you pass away or become incapacitated, your social media accounts don’t disappear. They remain in a digital limbo—tagged in photos, logged into devices, and vulnerable to hacking. Without proper privacy controls and a designated digital executor, your personal information can be exploited.

Key risks include:

• Data brokers scraping public profiles.
• Identity thieves using your birth date and location.
• Hackers accessing private messages or financial accounts linked to social logins.
• Family disputes over who controls memorialized accounts.

By adjusting privacy settings now, you limit exposure. Pairing these changes with a documented estate plan (like the ones found in Living Trusts, Wills & Estate Planning for Seniors or Nolo’s Guide to Estate Planning) ensures your digital assets are handled according to your wishes.

Facebook: The Data Hoarder

Facebook collects more personal data than any other platform. Its default settings are notoriously loose. You need to tighten them immediately.

Must‑Change Settings

• Limit Past Posts: Go to Settings → Privacy → “Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends?” → click “Limit Past Posts.” This changes all old posts to “Friends only.”
• Review Tags and Timeline: Enable “Review tags people add to your posts” and “Review what other people see on your timeline.” This prevents unwanted associations.
• Profile Search Engines: Under “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” → toggle Off. This removes your profile from Google results.
• Ad Preferences: Navigate to Settings → Ads → Ad Settings. Turn off “Ads based on data from partners” and “Ads based on your activity on Facebook Company Products.” This stops Facebook from using your browsing history to target you.
• Location History: Go to Settings → Location → toggle “Location Services” Off for the app on your phone.
• Face Recognition: Under “Face Recognition” (if available in your region), set it to No. This prevents Facebook from identifying you in photos.

Estate Planning Action

Designate a legacy contact (Settings → Memorialization Settings). This person can manage your account after you pass away. Without one, Facebook may take months to verify your death.

Instagram: Protect Your Photos and Stories

Instagram is owned by Facebook, so many privacy issues overlap. However, Instagram’s default is often public—meaning anyone can see your photos, location, and story replies.

Must‑Change Settings

• Private Account: Switch to Private (Settings → Privacy → Account Privacy → toggle On). Only approved followers can see your posts and stories.
• Activity Status: Turn off “Show Activity Status” so others can’t see when you’re online.
• Story Controls: Under “Story,” disable “Allow Sharing” and “Save to Camera Roll.” Also set “Hide Story From” to exclude certain people.
• Comments and Tags: Under “Comments,” block comments from people you don’t follow and turn on “Hide Offensive Comments.” For tags, enable “Pending Approval” so you must approve tags before they appear.
• Data Downloads: Consider downloading a copy of your data (Settings → Security → Download Data) and store it securely with your estate planning documents. This preserves memories while keeping them off Instagram’s servers.

Estate Planning Action

Memorialization on Instagram is similar to Facebook—assign a legacy contact. Also note that Instagram’s “Close Friends” list for stories can be used to share sensitive updates only with trusted family.

Twitter / X: The Public Square

Twitter is designed for public conversation, but you can still restrict who sees your tweets and who can interact with you. Privacy settings here are fewer but critical.

Must‑Change Settings

• Protect Your Tweets: Go to Settings → Privacy & Safety → Audience and tagging → Turn on “Protect your Tweets.” This makes your timeline visible only to approved followers.
• Photo Tagging: Under “Photo tagging,” disable “Anyone can tag you.” Choose “People you follow” or “No one.”
• Direct Messages: Under “Direct Messages,” toggle off “Allow message requests from anyone.” Also, turn off “Show read receipts” if you want.
• Location Information: Turn off “Attach a location to your Tweets” for every new tweet.
• Discoverability: Under “Discoverability,” disable “Let others find you by your email” and “by your phone number.”
• Data Sharing Ads: In “Ads preferences,” toggle off “Personalize based on your inferred identity” and “Share data with Twitter’s business partners.”

Estate Planning Action

Twitter does not offer a legacy contact feature. You must document your login credentials in a secure password manager and include explicit instructions in your will about what to do with the account (delete, archive, or keep active).

LinkedIn: Professional Exposure with Personal Risks

LinkedIn is a goldmine for recruiters—and for scammers. Your resume, job history, connections, and endorsements are publicly accessible by default.

Must‑Change Settings

• Profile Visibility: Set your profile to “Only your connections” for public profile visibility (Settings → Visibility → Edit your public profile). Uncheck everything except your name and photo.
• Connection Visibility: Under “Who can see your connections,” select Only you. This prevents others from scraping your network.
• Profile Viewing Options: Under “How others see your LinkedIn activity,” choose “Private mode” when browsing profiles. This stops others from seeing you viewed them.
• Email and Phone: Go to Privacy → “How others can find you” → toggle off all options except those you need.
• Advertising Data: In “Settings & Privacy → Data privacy → Ads data,” turn off “Use my data from LinkedIn to tailor ads on other platforms.”
• Sync Contacts: Disable syncing your address book with LinkedIn.

Estate Planning Action

LinkedIn offers a “Memorialize Account” request through their help center. Provide instructions and contact details for your digital executor. Alternatively, save a PDF of your profile—it can serve as a professional record for your estate.

TikTok: The Data Machine

TikTok’s privacy settings are under intense scrutiny because of its data collection practices. If you use TikTok, you must change these settings immediately.

Must‑Change Settings

• Private Account: Switch to Private (Settings → Privacy → Private account). Only approved followers can see your videos.
• Direct Messages: Set “Who can send you direct messages” to No one.
• Video Downloads: Under “Allow your videos to be downloaded” → disable. This prevents others from saving your videos.
• Suggest Account to Others: Turn off “Suggest your account to others” under Discoverability.
• Personalization & Data: In Settings → Privacy → Personalization & data, toggle off “Personalized ads” and “Allow others to find me using my phone number.”
• Location Services: Go to your phone’s app settings and set TikTok’s location to “Never.”

Estate Planning Action

TikTok does not have a robust memorialization process. Document your login details and ask a trusted family member to delete the account after your passing. Include this request in your estate planning documents, such as the Estate Planning For Dummies guide.

Snapchat: Ephemeral but Not Private

Snapchats disappear, but your data doesn’t. The app collects usage patterns, location, and friend lists.

Must‑Change Settings

• Ghost Mode: Enable “Ghost Mode” in Snap Map (Settings → See My Location → toggle off). This hides your location from all friends.
• Contact Me: Set “Who can send me Snaps” to My Friends.
• View My Story: Set “View My Story” to Custom and exclude specific people.
• Quick Add: Turn off “Quick Add” to prevent random people from finding you.
• Ad Preferences: Under “Ad Preferences,” disable “Personalized ads” and “Allow Snap to use your off‑Snap activity.”

Estate Planning Action

Snapchat deletes accounts after 30 days of inactivity if you have no designated friend. Provide backup login information in your digital estate plan. Snapchat also offers a “Legacy Contact” feature—set one up in the app under Settings → Account → Family Center–like features.

YouTube: Your Video History and Private Content

YouTube is a Google service, so many privacy controls are tied to your Google Account.

Must‑Change Settings

• Private Videos: Set all uploads to Unlisted or Private by default (YouTube Studio → Content → Visibility).
• Pause Watch History: Go to Google’s My Activity → Activity controls → toggle off “YouTube Watch History.” This stops YouTube from using your viewing habits to recommend videos.
• Channel Settings: Under “Channel privacy,” set “Keep all my subscriptions private.”
• Comments: Disable “Allow comments on your videos” or set them to “Hold all for review.”
• Location Data: In Google Account → Data & Personalization → Location History → pause it.

Estate Planning Action

Use Google’s Inactive Account Manager to decide what happens to your YouTube channel (and other Google data) after a period of inactivity. You can set up automatic data deletion or notify up to 10 trusted contacts.

Creating a Unified Social Media Privacy Strategy

Changing settings on each platform is a start, but you need a holistic approach to protect your digital estate.

Step‑by‑Step Checklist

1. Audit every account using this list.
2. Download your data from each platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube).
3. Store credentials in a secure, shared password manager (e.g., Bitwarden, 1Password) that your executor can access.
4. Draft a digital asset inventory using a fillable form—like the one in the I’m Dead, Now What? Planner ($11.63, 4.6 stars). This planner includes prompts for social media accounts, online banks, and subscriptions.
5. Incorporate your digital wishes into your living trust or will. Reference your inventory document.
6. Review annually—platforms change settings all the time.

Recommended Estate Planning Resources

Product	Price	Rating	Description
Living Trusts, Wills & Estate Planning for Seniors	$22.97	4.4	3‑in‑1 guide includes forms for wills, trusts, and asset protection
Living Trusts + Wills, Retirement, Tax & Estate Planning 6‑in‑1	$24.97	4.5	Comprehensive wealth management with digital asset coverage
Nolo’s Guide to Estate Planning	$27.89	4.7	Authoritative legal resource covering digital accounts
Estate Planning For Dummies	$20.99	4.3	Easy‑to‑follow instructions for non‑experts
I’m Dead, Now What? Planner	$11.63	4.6	Essential organizer for digital and physical assets

Connecting Privacy Settings to Your Digital Legacy

When you change these privacy settings, you’re not just protecting your daily life—you’re curating the digital footprint you leave behind.

Think about these scenarios:

• Your Facebook memories are accessible to anyone if your profile is public.
• Your Twitter timeline remains visible to the world after you’re gone.
• Your LinkedIn network could be scammed by impersonators using your photo.

By locking down these settings now, you reduce the burden on your family later. They won’t have to scramble to delete sensitive posts or flag fake accounts.

Internal Linking: Deeper Dives for Advanced Privacy

For more granular control over your digital exposure, explore these related guides on InsuranceCurator.com:

• Online Privacy 101: How Your Data Is Collected, Tracked, and Sold
• How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint: Practical Steps to Take This Week?
• Browser Privacy Tools: Ad Blockers, Vpns, and Private Search Engines Explained
• How to Use a Vpn Safely and When You Actually Need One?
• Email Privacy: Securing Sensitive Messages and Avoiding Tracking Pixels
• Smartphone Privacy Settings: What to Turn Off on Ios and Android Right Now
• Location Tracking and Geotagging: Who Can See Where You’ve Been and How to Limit It
• Data Brokers and People-search Sites: How to Remove Your Information
• Online Privacy for Parents: Protecting Children’s Photos, Data, and Screen Activity
• Incognito Mode Myths: What Private Browsing Really Does and Does Not Hide
• How Wearables and Health Apps Track You—and Ways to Protect Health Data?
• Privacy-friendly Alternatives to Popular Apps and Services
• Managing Cookies and Consent Pop-ups Without Sacrificing Privacy
• Legal Rights Around Online Privacy: What Consumers Can Demand under New Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do I need to change social media privacy settings for estate planning?
Your social media accounts contain sensitive personal data—birth dates, family connections, locations, and private messages. If left open, they can be exploited after you die. Changing settings now limits exposure and makes it easier for your executor to handle your digital legacy.

2. How do I set a legacy contact on Facebook and Instagram?
Go to Settings → Memorialization Settings on Facebook, and Settings → Memorialization Settings on Instagram. Choose a trusted person to manage your account after you pass away.

3. What if a platform doesn’t offer a memorialization feature?
Document your login credentials in a secure password manager and include instructions in your will. Some platforms (like Twitter) don’t have a legacy contact system, so explicit written direction is essential.

4. Should I make all my social media accounts private?
Yes, for maximum privacy. Private accounts prevent strangers from viewing your content, tags, and friends list. The downside is that you control who follows you, which may reduce engagement. For estate planning, privacy outweighs reach.

5. Can I delete my accounts after death?
Yes, if you leave instructions. Without a documented plan, families often struggle with platform verification. Using a resource like the I’m Dead, Now What? Planner helps you record account details and deletion wishes.

6. How often should I review these settings?
At least once a year. Platforms update their privacy policies and settings frequently. Major life events (marriage, divorce, birth, retirement) are also good triggers for a review.

7. What’s the most important setting to change first?
On every platform, set your account to Private (if available). After that, disable location services and location tagging. These two changes dramatically reduce your digital exposure.

8. Do these privacy settings affect data that’s already been collected?
No. Changing settings going forward does not delete historical data. You may need to download your data, delete old posts, or request deletion from data brokers separately. See our guide on Data Brokers and People-search Sites for step‑by‑step removal.

9. How do I include social media accounts in my living trust?
List your social media accounts as digital assets in your trust document. Reference the inventory you created (e.g., the planner). Assign a digital executor to manage those assets. Many estate planning books, such as Living Trusts, Wills & Estate Planning for Seniors, include templates for digital assets.

10. What if I don’t have a will or trust?
You still need to document your digital wishes. Without legal documents, platforms will follow their own policies, which may not align with your family’s wishes. Consider starting with a simple guide like Estate Planning For Dummies to understand your options.

Final Thoughts

Your social media footprint is part of your legacy. Taking 30 minutes today to adjust privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube can save your loved ones weeks of stress later.

Pair these digital changes with a legally sound estate plan that includes your online accounts. Whether you use a simple planner or a comprehensive guide, the key is to act now—before your data becomes part of someone else’s harvest.

Start with your most-used platform. Use the checklist above, download your data, and document everything. Your future self (and your family) will thank you.