Privacy January 16, 2026

Social Media Privacy: Lock Down Your Accounts in 2026

SM
Sarah Miller
Privacy Advocate • 12 min read
Social Media

In 2026, creating content is easy, but hiding it is hard. AI bots scrape everything you post to train models or build profiles. Here's how to fight back.

The "Poisoning" Strategy

Tools like Nightshade V5 allow you to subtly alter your images before posting, confusing AI scrapers. We recommend running all personal photos through a "poisoning" filter before upload.

Platform Audits

Instagram / Threads

Go to Settings > AI Interactions. Turn off "Allow content for training." It's hidden deep in the menu, but it's essential.

X (Twitter)

Use ephemeral tweets. Set your default post retention to 24 hours. There is no reason for your thoughts from 2026 to be public record in 2026.