[PHOTO: Courtesy of Mirko Macari]

In a previous post, I explained how, according to a recent study [PDF], social networks like Facebook and Myspace are leaking the personal information of their users to third-party tracking sites. If you use a social network, here are some ways to protect your privacy:

1. Carefully limit the information you post on any social network to just what’s necessary to interact with friends. Don’t list your address, phone number, birthday, or other sensitive information.


2. Familiarize yourself with the social network’s privacy controls and use them as vigorously as necessary to restrict access to your information to just your known circle of friends. You can usually find those controls by signing in and by accessing the service’s “account settings” screen.


3. Use your browser’s security settings to reduce your exposure to tracking sites. For example, you might configure the browser to refuse third-party cookies. The aforementioned study provides more details on ways to protect yourself via your browser, although the protection those afford isn’t foolproof.

Use our other advice on how protect yourself online. For tips, including ways to avoid identity theft, see our free online security guide.

How much personal information do you post on the social networks you use? Is that affected by security concerns? And have you used the service’s privacy controls to block unwanted access? Tell us about your experiences in the space below. —Jeff Fox