how to post safely during the holidays

Social media is as much a part of the holidays as mulled wine or family gatherings: we post to share the preparations, to stay connected, and to feel together – at least virtually – with those who are far away. Meanwhile, as we admire the Christmas tree, the set table or the children’s boots, we often reveal far more about ourselves than we realise. The small details in the pictures quickly give away where and under what circumstances we live, and when we are at home - or when we are not.

From Pinterest-style Christmas aesthetics to Insta reels, holiday content really does offer plenty of ideas, reflection and inspiration. But along the way, details can easily slip out that we would rather keep within the walls of our own home. If we recognise which risks hide behind seemingly harmless social media posts, there is a lot we can do to avoid the unpleasant consequences.

This article is based mainly on the example of Facebook sharing, but the basic principles are similar for other social media platforms.

This study, published this year^{Source 1}, showed that over the past year location leakage through shared photos has increased significantly. Our location can be shared deliberately (for example when we add a location tag to a Facebook post), but also unintentionally, if the photo contains metadata from which our whereabouts can be inferred.

Metadata is the term for the hidden technical information saved automatically when a photo is taken: for example the exact time it was taken, the type of device used, or even GPS coordinates.

Although Facebook and Instagram remove the GPS data embedded in images when they are uploaded, this does not always mean complete safety. If we edited the photo in an app that preserves metadata (for example Google Photos, Samsung Photos, Snapseed or certain built-in photo editors), or if the image was first shared on another platform (WhatsApp, Viber, e-mail) and then saved from there, the image may still carry technical information that points to a location.

The consequences can be serious: from the violation of personal space and the identification of our home, all the way to the risk of burglary while we are away.

According to an earlier survey^{Source 2}, 78% of burglars rely on social media (for example Facebook and Instagram) to scout possible targets.

So a photo taken at a New Year’s Eve party, for example, can be revealing even if you add no location tag: the time the picture was taken, details of the device used or the surroundings visible in the photo can let others infer where you are at the moment – or that you are not at home.

A study published just recently, in 2025^{Source 3}, shows that photos without location data can also reveal information about us.

The visual and contextual cues visible in images (details of the environment, objects, the background) are often enough for someone to work out where a photo was taken or the circumstances of its creator. Spatial context (for example the surroundings of the house, the street view or the entrance) and social context (the people in the image, objects, signs of life circumstances) together form information that we often don’t realise we are giving away.

The professional study mentioned above^{Source 1} also points out that tools based on artificial intelligence, for example large language models (LLMs) and Google Lens, significantly speed up and sharpen location identification. These tools are able to automatically recognise certain visual cues and infer where a photo was taken, even if the user hasn’t given any specific location data.

This way, even a photo of a completely harmless outdoor Christmas decoration can be enough: the shape of the gate or the character of the surroundings alone may be sufficient for someone to identify our home.

From photos published on social media, people’s movement patterns and home routines can be reconstructed surprisingly accurately^{Source 4}. The timestamps and locations of photos, together with the frequency of posts, form a kind of “digital space–time diary”, from which it can be inferred when someone is at home, when they are travelling, and when they leave the home empty.

Increasingly often, phone scammers – posing as bank clerks, couriers or staff of official bodies – recite personal information to the victim that they could not possibly know from an official database. They mostly gather this from photos and posts shared on social media, and then build a “credible-sounding” story around it. Their goal is usually simple: to get the victim to give out further sensitive data themselves, or to enable access to their financial accounts.

Social engineering is a psychological manipulation method in which attackers exploit people’s trust, inattentiveness or helpfulness to obtain sensitive information or gain unauthorised access.

So our holiday photos can reveal our homes, our habits and our daily routines all at once, often without us realising. What are the simplest steps to avoid unnecessary risks when posting? What can we do here and now?

• Step 1
• Open the Facebook app on your phone, then tap the Menu icon, represented by three horizontal lines, in the top right corner (Android) or the bottom right corner (iOS).

• Step 2
• In the menu that appears, select Settings & privacy, then tap Settings.

• Step 3
• On the next page, find the Privacy Checkup section, where Facebook will guide you through a few settings.

• Step 4
• First, check who can see your future posts, and set the audience to Friends, so that only the people you truly want can see them. Then review the options Who can send you friend requests? and Who can look you up using the email address or phone number you provided?, and set them to a safe level.

Social media platforms are constantly evolving and changing, so the location or appearance of settings may change over time. This description reflects the state of December 2025. If you get stuck or have a question, feel free to write to us at innolink.srl@gmail.com – we are happy to help!

Although it may sometimes be more convenient and quicker, we recommend avoiding linking your various online accounts – for example “Log in with Facebook” or “Sign in with Google”. If you choose these and one of your accounts is breached, the others may be at risk too. Many quizzes, games or apps unreasonably ask for access to your social media accounts.

Fortunately, you can check at any time which apps have access to your Facebook account:

• Step 1
• In the Apps and websites section, you can see the apps and websites that currently have access to your account.

• Step 2
• Remove the apps you no longer use here. Keep access only for the apps you recognise, use regularly and genuinely need.

Avoid location tagging when you post, especially for content related to your home or workplace. If you still like to use location tagging, it is advisable to publish the post only later, after you have already left the place.

Photos and videos don’t hold only the image: metadata hides information, for example the time of capture, the date, the location and the device used. Review it and, where necessary, delete this data.

• On iPhone
• Open the Photos app, select the picture and tap the Share button. At the very top of the menu that appears, select Options, then tap Set Location and remove the location.
• On Android
• Open the Gallery or Photos app, select the picture and tap the Details or Info icon (i). Find the Location / GPS field here and select Delete.

It is important that they also understand how the online space works and what the risks of social media are. Talk with them, through examples, about what is worth sharing and which details give away too much personal information about them.

What have you experienced so far? How hard is it to figure out what is and isn’t worth posting? Get in touch, tell us your story and share your thoughts – your experiences can help others too.