Trend Micro has expanded its social network privacy technology, which identifies privacy settings that may leave personal or inappropriate information publicly available or vulnerable to identity theft.

The solution gives users control over which apps can access biographical data, and who can tag and see photos. These features are critical today, considering only 24 per cent of Facebook users change their privacy settings each month or more often, according to a survey.

The problem of exposing too much information could continue to plague social media users, said the August 2013 poll by Cint USA and the global security software developer Trend Micro.

About 24 per cent of the respondents said they have posted something they later regretted or removed, and 36 per cent said they have seen something they regard as inappropriate on Facebook, Twitter or Google +.

“Privacy is a huge concern, and it all starts with making sure that we don’t have ‘I wish I hadn’t done that’ regretful moments,” says Akihiko Omikawa, executive vice president, Global Consumer Business at Trend Micro.

“Guarding against identity theft, protecting against viruses and keeping families safe online come standard in Trend Micro security solutions. But if you don’t understand how to manage your social network privacy settings, no amount of security software will keep your online reputation protected,” said Omikawa.

“The first line of defence in enjoying your digital life safely is to get a handle on social media privacy. Trend Micro gives social media users a simple way to avoid harming themselves or ruining their reputations by sharing too much information with unintended audiences.”

The poll also showed that 27 per cent of Twitter users and 30 percent of Google+ users have never checked their privacy settings and 34 per cent of Twitter users and 39 per cent of Google+ users have never updated their privacy settings.

The social media privacy management tool is featured in Trend Micro’s customisable Titanium 2014 family of consumer security products.

Titanium Security 2014 solutions provide leading anti-virus and web-threat protection that identifies and blocks dangerous links in websites, social networks, emails and instant messaging. It also detects spam emails containing phishing scams that can trick users into revealing private personal information.

Its password management feature includes a secure browser to conduct safe online commerce that is specifically designed to support secure online banking.

It also includes parental controls to help families protect children from the dangers inherent to Internet use. The solution empowers parents to restrict and filter their children’s online access, protecting them from inappropriate or harmful websites. In addition, it includes a way to monitor kids’ behaviour online – to help parents protect their kids from cyber bullying and encounters with online predators.

For Android smartphone and tablet users, the solution includes the Facebook privacy management app within the Trend Micro Mobile Security, which is designed to find a lost or stolen device, identify data-stealing mobile apps, back-up and restore data stored on a device, and remotely lock and wipe out data. - TradeArabia News Service